Soccer players spend extended periods running almost continuously and are frequently required to accelerate sharply or to change direction or stop abruptly. This can lead to shin splint injuries that are the result of stress on your shin bone and on the tissues that connect the muscles in your shin to the shin bone. Extensive running or a sudden increase in the intensity, frequency or length of workouts can give rise to this problem. It is an overuse injury that is best treated by allowing your body to rest and self repair. Shin supports are a valuable accessory in this healing process and will help you return to the soccer field that much sooner.

The primary type of shin support that you should consider as a soccer player afflicted with these injuries are shin splint supports. The better shin splints will provide compression to your shin and promote blood flow through the area. This blood flow brings fresh oxygen and other nutrients to the injured tissues and accelerates their healing. They also reduce the stress on these tissues to aid the healing process. An example of a shin splint support with both these properties is the Bio Skin Shin Splint.

Other Treatments

There are some other treatments besides wearing shin supports that will help you get back on the soccer field sooner:

• Ice your shin daily, every 3-4 hours for periods of 20-30 minutes at a time.  You can use a cold compress like the DynaPro Hot & Cold Compress for this purpose.
• Consider purchasing insoles for your shoes that can mitigate the problem;
• You can also consider anti inflammatory pain killers, if the pain is really severe. However, beware of the side effects and possible addictive qualities of these medications.