Most who play sports would say it is a fun experience, but along with this experience comes the risk of injuries.

Now is the time for spring sports, which include baseball, boys’ golf, track and field, girls’ soccer, softball, and girls’ tennis.

A particular spring sport that carries a high risk of injury is track and field.

While running track and field, athletes expose themselves to a great deal of running-related injuries.

Running-related injuries can happen to anyone, but the good thing is that most can be prevented with proper caution.

One of the most common track injuries a runner may come upon is medial tibial stress syndrome, or shin splints.

Every runner is bound to come across shin splints some time in his career.

Shin splints cause pain in the lower part of the leg with swelling along the shins.

Junior Deitrick Young said that shin splints are very painful.

“Shin splints feel like my knee and shin are just pinching together,” Young said. “Having shin splints makes it harder to run on your toes and you need your toes to run as fast as you can.”

There are numerous ways a runner can come upon shin splints. According to WebMD, runners might get shin splints after heightening their workout intensity or changing the surface they run on — like shifting from a dirt path to asphalt.

Mr. Chris Torok, boys’ assistant track coach, said sprinters are more likely to come upon shin splints.

“Shin splints are more common in sprinters than distance runners,” Torok said. “Sprinters are toe runners who take shorter, more aggressive strides, while distance runners use a less aggressive heel-toe stride.”

The only good thing about shin splints is that there are a lot of steps a runner can take to prevent them. Unfortunately, caution cannot prevent shin splints, but rather reduce the odds of getting them.

According to Torok, shin splints can be cured in a simple way.

“Shin splints can be healed by icing the leg and by getting proper rest,” Torok said.