DEAR DR. DONOHUE: This past spring I was on our high school’s women’s track team. I never did anything athletic before. My mom encouraged me. She said I wasn’t getting enough exercise. I liked it and was good at it. I developed leg pains. My coach said it was shin splints. I had to stop running. I’m OK now and would like to run again. What are shin splints, and how do I prevent them? — A.S.

ANSWER: It would be a great service to humanity if the term “shin splints” was banned from use. It’s a meaningless diagnosis. The shin, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is the front part of the leg between the knee and ankle. It’s the tibia bone, the bone you feel beneath the knee. Three common conditions bring on tibial pain.

Stress fractures are one cause. They’re tiny bone cracks brought on by overuse. A person can point with one finger to the painful site. Pain increases when the foot hits the ground, and it remains as a dull ache when the leg is at rest. Doing too much running with too little rest is the reason why these breaks occur. It takes four to six weeks for stress fractures to heal. Next season you’ll be fine if you start out with a modest distance and a modest pace. Increase both gradually.

Medial tibial stress syndrome is the most common cause of shin pain. The pain ranges from a dull ache to intense agony. Wrapped around the tibia is a tough covering called the periosteum. Inflammation of the periosteum is the basis of this syndrome. Again, it’s an overuse injury. Running on hard surfaces contributes to the inflammation. Look at your running shoes. If the big-toe side of the shoe shows excessive wear compared with the opposite side, your foot turns too far inward when it hits the ground. That’s called pronation. It adds to the syndrome, too. An insert or a different shoe can correct that turning.

The third shin condition is compartmental syndrome. The muscles of the lower leg are covered by tough tissues that separate them into distinct compartments. Inflamed muscles swell. The tough tissue forming the compartments doesn’t bulge in the face of swelling. That’s the cause of pain. This, too, is another consequence of overuse. Rest is the cure.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My friends and I have joined a yoga class. We are not spring chickens. We like the class, and it keeps us moving.

After one month, I have lost three pounds and feel more energetic. What do you think of yoga for exercise? — J.W.

ANSWER: Anything that gets people moving is good exercise. I admit that my knowledge of yoga is nonexistent. I had to turn to others who do know what they’re talking about.

Yoga consists of moving into and out of classic positions while paying close attention to breathing. My sources say it improves strength, flexibility and balance, three things that are lost with aging.

As with all exercise, frequency, intensity and time (duration) are the three factors that determine exercise’s benefits.

I’m no spring chicken, either. Perhaps I should look into yoga myself.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have arthritis and have had it for years. How am I supposed to exercise? I don’t want to further injure already injured joints. — L.M.

ANSWER: People with arthritis are encouraged to exercise. Exercise strengthens muscles around joints, and that protects those joints. If a particular exercise causes pain, stop it. You can find a substitute. Biking is less demanding of joints than is jogging. Swimming is an excellent exercise for arthritics. So, too, are water aerobics. They are exercises done in the water and supervised by a trained leader.

After an exercise session, icing your joints for 15 minutes will keep them free of pain.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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