Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, refers to “pain in the muscles on the front of the lower leg, below the knee and along the shin bone,” says Joshua Honrado, DAT, an athletic trainer who works with dancers at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries. Dancers are particularly prone to shin splints, especially when they experience a sudden increase in rehearsals or performances, such as during Nutcracker season.

I did a musical number with lots of jumps on a tour stop without a sprung floor. Now my leg really hurts. An orthopedist told me I have shin splints but not a stress fracture. Is the recovery time different? —Bob, Riverdale, NY Yes. A shin splint is a soft-tissue injury, whereas a stress fracture […]