I Have Shin Splints and My Shins Hurt When I Run Hills

Shin splint pain that gets worse when you run hills can make your shins ache, tighten, or feel tender because uphill running puts extra stress on the area.

You may feel fine on flat ground but notice your shins start hurting as soon as your run takes you uphill. The pain might begin as a mild ache and become more noticeable with each hill, making your lower legs feel tight, tired, or increasingly uncomfortable as you keep climbing.

Hills can make a familiar shin splint problem stand out because your lower legs have to work harder with every step. If your shins are already sore from regular running, adding steep climbs or repeated hills can push the area past what it is currently comfortable handling.

Your Shin Pain Gets Worse As The Hill Gets Steeper

Your shins may start aching more as you climb.

You might begin a hill feeling fine, then notice the familiar shin pain building as the incline continues. The steeper the hill or the longer you stay on it, the more your shins may tighten and ache with each step.

Your Shins Stay Sore After Running Hills

The pain may linger after the hill workout is over.

You may notice tenderness when you walk after your run, especially if you spent a lot of time climbing or repeated the same hill several times. Your next run can then feel uncomfortable sooner because your shins are still sore from the previous workout.

Why Your Shins Hurt During Hill Running

Your shins have a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your shins feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Shins Feel Better

Your shins start feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why do my shin splints hurt when I run hills?

Hill running makes your lower legs work harder with each step, which can increase stress on shins that are already sensitive from shin splints.

Why do my shins hurt more running uphill than on flat ground?

Running uphill requires more effort from your lower legs, so your shin pain may become more noticeable as the incline increases.

Can running hills make shin splints worse?

Yes. Repeated hill running can aggravate shin splint pain when your shins are already sore or have not fully recovered.

Should I avoid hills if I have shin splints?

If hills consistently increase your shin pain, reducing or avoiding them while the area recovers may help prevent the symptoms from continuing to worsen.

What should I do if my shin splints hurt every time I run hills?

Pay attention to the pattern and reduce activities that repeatedly increase the pain. Persistent, severe, or worsening shin pain should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.