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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffShin splints are usually diagnosed based on your medical history and a physical exam. In some cases, an X-ray or other imaging studies can help identify other possible causes for your pain, such as a stress fracture — tiny cracks in a bone often caused by overuse.
References
- Shin splints. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00407. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
- Callahan LR, et al. Overview of running injuries of the lower extremity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 28, 2010.
- Handout on health: Sports injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sports_Injuries/default.asp. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
- Wilder RP, et al. Overuse injuries: Tendinopathies, stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and shin splints. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2004;23:55.
- Stretanski MF. Shin splints. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/225926657-2/0/1678/72.html?tocnode=55148574&fromURL=72.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50071-7_1137. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
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