Shin Splints - School of the Holy Child · Shin splints is a generic term used to describe pain in...
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Shin Splints Created Feb 2014 What are shin splints? Shin splints is a generic term used to describe pain in the lower leg in front of the tibia. Shin splints are caused by problems with the bone, the muscle attachment to the bone, or the muscle itself. Causes of shin pain: ƒ Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) - When people refer to “shin splints,” they usually mean MTSS. It is an overuse injury that causes pain on the tendon where it attaches to the bone. MTSS is common among runners and dancers ƒ Tibial Stress Fracture - An x-ray may be needed to rule out a tibial stress fracture, an injury that is more common in girls. Contributing factors to MTSS include: ƒ Collapsed arches ƒ Ankle pronation during activity ƒ Sudden increase in activity (distance, intensity, etc.) ƒ Hard or uneven running surfaces ƒ Muscle imbalance or weakness ƒ Tight calf muscles Treatment ƒ Ice after activity can help reduce pain and inflammation ƒ Rest as needed ƒ Proper warm up and stretching, especially calf and soleus muscles ƒ Strengthening of the lower leg muscles ƒ Supportive footwear and orthotics - several tendons that cause shin splint pain pass under the arch of the foot. Athletes with flat arches or a tendency to pronate put additional stress on the tendon, which can cause pain at the muscle attachment site higher up Footwear can have a profound impact on shin splints. Sneakers that have been worn for many months can lose their supportive cushioning and can lead to shin splints. Cleats in general have a very flat and hard footbed, which can also cause lower leg pain. Supporting the arch with orthotics is often an effective way of reducing shin splint pain. Custom orthotics are often not necessary for the athlete. Superfeet is a great brand for athletes. Superfeet Green - for runners or athletes that wear sneakers Superfeet Blue - narrower profile works well for athletes that wear cleats Keep in mind it can take up to two weeks for the body to adjust to wearing orthotics, so if you don’t feel a difference after the first few times, don’t give up! Neutral Pronation Calf Stretch Soleus Stretch Superfeet Blue Superfeet Green
Transcript of Shin Splints - School of the Holy Child · Shin splints is a generic term used to describe pain in...
Shin Splints
Created Feb 2014
What are shin splints?Shin splints is a generic term used to describe pain in the lower leg in front of the tibia. Shin splints are caused by problems with the bone, the muscle attachment to the bone, or the muscle itself.
Causes of shin pain:ƒ�Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) - When people refer to “shin splints,” they usually mean MTSS. It is an overuse injury that causes pain on the tendon where it attaches to the bone. MTSS is common among runners and dancersƒ�Tibial Stress Fracture - An x-ray may be needed to rule out a tibial stress fracture, an injury that is more common in girls.
Contributing factors to MTSS include:ƒ�Collapsed archesƒ�Ankle pronation during activityƒ�Sudden increase in activity (distance, intensity, etc.)ƒ�Hard or uneven running surfacesƒ�Muscle imbalance or weaknessƒ�Tight calf muscles
Treatmentƒ�Ice after activity can help reduce pain and inflammationƒ�Rest as neededƒ�Proper warm up and stretching, especially calf and soleus musclesƒ�Strengthening of the lower leg musclesƒ�Supportive footwear and orthotics - several tendons that cause shin splint pain pass under the arch of the foot. Athletes with flat arches or a tendency to pronate put additional stress on the tendon, which can cause pain at the muscle attachment site higher up
Footwear can have a profound impact on shin splints. Sneakers that have been worn for many months can lose their supportive cushioning and can lead to shin splints. Cleats in general have a very flat and hard footbed, which can also cause lower leg pain.
Supporting the arch with orthotics is often an effective way of reducing shin splint pain. Custom orthotics are often not necessary for the athlete. Superfeet is a great brand for athletes.
Superfeet Green - for runners or athletes that wear sneakersSuperfeet Blue - narrower profile works well for athletes that wear cleats
Keep in mind it can take up to two weeks for the body to adjust to wearing orthotics, so if you don’t feel a difference after the first few times, don’t give up!
Neutral Pronation
Calf Stretch Soleus Stretch
Superfeet BlueSuperfeet Green
