Editor’s note: This article is part of the Health and Fitness page’s weekly series about sports injuries based on information from the physical therapists of Cyclone Sports Medicine. This week, Michael Shaffer will spotlight shin splints.

One thing that nearly all athletes know is the shooting pain that comes with shin splints.

Michael Shaffer, physical therapist at Cyclone Sports Medicine, said shin splints can strike at anytime for various reasons.

“Shin splints are an often-painful injury affecting anyone who has made recent changes to their normal workout schedule, or anyone using improper footwear,” he said.

Shaffer said the condition is more commonly found in athletes with either very high arches or very low arches, otherwise known as flat feet, but other conditions can cause shin splints as well.

“You usually get them from over-training or running too much,” he said. “You can get them from when you alter your training, if you have a large increase in your mileage or run faster or longer than you are used to. A change in the type of surface you run on or changing the kind of shoes you use can also cause shin splints.”

The injury is easily detected by a pain running down the front of one’s leg that only surfaces while the legs are in use, Shaffer said.

“If you do have them, it typically hurts when you run, but doesn’t hurt when you stop,” he said.

Sometimes, a stress fracture can be mistaken for shin splints, Shaffer said. The key to differentiating between a fracture and mere shin splints is noting whether the pain continues after running.

“If you have pain when you run and it is still there when you stop, you should probably see your physician because you may have a stress fracture,” he said. “Shin splints hurt only during the activity, and stress fractures hurt all the time.”

Not many people know what causes shin splints, Shaffer said.

“A shin splint is caused when the muscles pull away from the bone on a microscopic level,” he said. “There’s a covering on the bone that is densely packed with nerve endings, and that’s why shin splints hurt so much.”

Shaffer said shin splints should be treated immediately with rest, ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or aspirin.

The long-term steps that can be taken to eliminate the problem include doing stretches and exercises to maintain flexible Achilles tendons and strong calf muscles, as well as wearing shoes that fit snugly.

“You always want to have shoes that match your foot type,” he said, “whether you have high or low arches.”