Your calves and shins may not have the complex construction or delicate reputation of your knees and feet. But that doesn't mean they're indestructible. In a recent survey of 14,000 injured runners, sports podiatrist Stephen M. Pribut found that calf pulls were the second most common complaint, with shinsplints coming in fourth. These injuries outranked Achilles tendinitis, heel pain, even lower-back pain.

Why are they so common? Anyone who runs on hard surfaces, trains in worn-out shoes, rapidly jacks up mileage, or neglects stretching and strengthening the lower leg is at risk, says Pribut, who treats runners in Washington, D.C.

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