I have horrible shin splints please help?

Stop running on the treadmill(although this is just my opinion, because I hate treadmills). Anyway cease all impact exercise(running, jumping etc.). Go see a doctor, depending on how bad your shin splints are they can lead to stress fractures. The best way to keep from getting shin splints is to gradually increase the amount of running you do. I recommend not running on treadmills(once again just my opinion, I am pretty biased, but I have run marathons and ultra marathons and I have never had shin splints). The main cause of shin splints is impact(you can get them from just walking). The key to getting rid of shin splints and keeping them away is to build up your shins from impact, but you have to do it gradually. First you have to heal the shin splints you already have so stop any impact exercises you are doing and limit the amount you walk to only what is necessary. Stretching will not get rid of this nor will try to run through them it will only make it worse. Trust me I have treated a lot of people with this injury and why had a set recovery schedule for them and the ones that followed it, we didn't see again and the knuckle heads that didn't listen came back worse off than they were before. The schedule we had may have been a little excessive, but it produced great results(if you followed it). Seriously though go get your shins looked at to make sure you don't have any stress fractures. Hope this helps. If you have any other question or concerns regarding this just send an email and I will be more than happy to help.

Usually running on treadmills or using cardio machines helps because of the low impact. It sounds to me that you need to take a few weeks off so your legs can heal (or they will get worse) then you can start again. If you don't you could miss alot more than a few weeks.Try checking your shoes, you might need some with more cushion, especially if you run on roads too. The last thing I can think of is your weight. If you are heavier you might want to concentrate on other machines like the elliptical or swimming, until you get a little lighter as this could also be stressing your bones. Good luck!

You could try running with a different make of runner or try running on a softer surface. I found buying a quality runner and shifting to a grassy surface reduce my splints.