I am a lacrosse player. i run all the time. in my shin i can pinpoint where it hurts.begining of run:hurts a little, during:not so much, after:alot!

May be a fracture : By history you may have shin splints or a stress fracture. With an x-ray your doctor may be able to make the diagnosis. Sometimes there can be a stress fracture eventhough the x-ray is normal. In those cases a bone scan or MRI may be necessary. Shin splints and stress fractures are treated differently so it is worthwhile to know what you actually have.