Many athletes get shin splints -- also called tibial stress syndrome -- at one time or another. Whether you jog daily or just had to sprint to catch a bus one day, you may have shin splints when you feel throbbing and aching in your shins. While they often heal on their own, severe shin splints can ruin your game. Shin splints aren't really a single medical condition. Instead, they're just a symptom of an underlying problem. They might be caused by irritated and swollen muscles, stress fractures, or overpronation or ''flat feet".