Outrun the Pain: Beating Shin Splints
Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, is an overuse injury where there is pain and inflammation in the shins, caused by repeated stress on the lower leg, made worse by abnormal biomechanics (i.e. collapsed arch in the foot or tight calves).
Some possible causes and/or contributing factors:
- Tight calves and hamstrings
- Weak anterior tibialis muscles
- Collapse arch in foot/hyperpronation
- Pelvic imbalance (i.e. one hip higher than the other)
- Improper Footwear
- Overuse
The key to correcting shin splints is to address the faulty biomechanics, which usually involves addressing the factors listed above.
A simple protocol: After a good warm-up (10-20 min. of brisk walking, cycling, etc.), stretch the calves before AND after sports or workouts.
Calf and Hamstring Stretches: Do 5-6 reps and hold for 30-60 seconds each, no bouncing. Repeat for hamstrings.
Strengthening of anterior tibialis: a great exercise is the “duck walk” where you walk on your heels with toes pointed up. Walk 20-25 steps alternating with each foot, and then rest 30 seconds. Do this 5-6 times each day, and within 5-7 days, shin splints will more than likely improve and in many cases, be gone completely.
Collapsed arch: get orthotics (aka “insoles”) either off the rack or if a more advanced case, see a foot specialist and get custom-made orthotics.
Pelvic Imbalance: if both shins hurt equally, your pelvis/hips are probably balanced and level. If one side hurts more than the other, it usually indicates one hip is higher than the other, and your weight distribution is off (not 50/50). See your Structural Chiropractor and have that corrected.
Compressed Weight-Bearing Joints: Feet, ankles, knees, and hips are weight-bearing joints than can suffer the consequences of the effects of gravity over time, compressing the joints and diminishing the space between adjacent bones. Structural Chiropractors can help “decompress” these joints by doing gentle but effective adjustments on the feet, ankles, knees, and hips. Oftentimes, these adjustments can provide almost immediate relief from many painful conditions.
As with all health challenges, the resolution and healing of shin splints can take longer, depending on severity, age, and other factors. If the pain persists for more than 2 weeks, go see a Structural Chiropractor (or click here to visit us at Atlas), for further evaluation.