As a high school cross country runner I developed very painful shin splints. I would ice, I would rest, and the moment I started training again, they pain would return. Frustrated with this cycle and unable to really break it, I kept training through the pain, just to have them shin splints develop into a series of stress fractures in my lower leg.

Lorraine, aka Track Mom, just published a very comprehensive and helpful article on shin splints, what they are and how to prevent them.

Shin splints is a common term used for a half a dozen lower leg problems ranging from nerve irritations to tendonitis to stress fractures.  The most common type that is experienced involves the tearing away of the muscle tissue that attaches to the front of the lower leg.  The beginner runner and the runner that resumes training after a long lay off are most susceptible to this injury.  The connective sheath attached to the muscles and bone of the lower leg become irritated, resulting in a razor-sharp pain in the lower leg along the inside of the tibia or shin bone.

I wish I would have had some of this information at a younger age.

Runners are not the only athletes that develop shin splints. Gymnasts, soccer players, field hockey players, basketball and tennis players are among the athletes that deal with shin splints and similar injuries. Be sure to outfit your athlete in the proper gear and be sure to rest and ice at the first hint of pain.