I have also seen a doctor about shin splints, and I was under the same impression as lefteh, that they were caused by inflamed tendons.
I have one more thing about lefteh’s comments. about running downhill. it is true that this puts stress on your shins. (that’s why it hurts if you run downhill or walk down stairs while you have shin splints) i wouldn’t recommend doing it while you have them, or soon after they go away. i dont think that’s what lefteh was advocating, and i just wanted to clarify.
my physical therapist gave me some specific stretches that helped me a lot. i still do them.
one is to stand on some stairs, put the ball of your foot on the stair, and let your heel hang over the edge. let your weight pull your heel down, and avoid bouncing. hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.
this did wonders for me.
another one is to lie on the floor on your back. lift you right leg so that it makes a 90 degree angle with your body. then, rotate it to the left, and let it come down so that it almost rests on the floor while keeping your shoulders both on the floor. sometimes it helps to look left. repeat with left leg.
shin splints are often but not always caused by overpronation, which is when you walk too much on the inside of your foot. this happens with people who have low arches. if this is the case, the shin splints can come back repeatedly. (this is what happened to me) finally i saw a orthotic specialist, and he made custom shoe inserts for me. they cost a chunk of change, but they were so worth it. my shin splints seem gone for good finally, and i am free to run.
hope your shins are recovering! let us know how it goes!