Summit Pedorthics: OUCH! Shin Splints

Summit Pedorthics: OUCH! Shin Splints

 

Are you familiar with these painful shin pains? The term “shin splints” refers to pain running along the inner side of the tibia. Shin splints are very common! Many people suffer from these pains after running or long periods of exercise. Dancers are also very prone to this ailment. They can be caused by many different things. The most common are:

-Irritated and swollen muscles

-Stress fractures, or tiny breaks in the lower leg bones

-Over-pronation or ”flat feet,” or when the impact of a step makes your foots arch collapse

-Weakness in stabilizing muscles of the hips or core

-Poor lumbar spine function

 

Shin splints can be easily treated, and some of the top ways to help are:

1. Rest! Let your leg and your body recover.
2. Use orthotics in your shoes. Shoe inserts, which can be custom made to fit your foot right here at Summit Pedorthics, can be vital in overall foot and leg health. These also help greatly with fallen arches.
3. Ice your shin. This will help ease the pain and swelling. Do this for 20 to 30 minutes, every few hours, for three or four days; or until the pain lessens.
4. Practice range of motion exercises. These range in effort level; from very simple, to much more difficult.
5. Meet with a Physical Therapist to discuss specific exercise and plan for healing. They could discuss the possibility of anti-inflammatory painkillers like NSAIDS, aspirin, or ibuprofen, if needed, as well.

 

There is no real way to know how long your shin splints will last, but it is not uncommon for them to last for three to six months. For those with chronic shin pain, fully recovering splints before jumping back in is the key. Exercising and running on injured legs, shin splints, and the like can result in permanent damage.

 

Here are a few ways to tell if your shin splints have healed.

1. Your x-rays show healed stress fractures.
2. Your injured leg can be moved in all ways as your “healthy” leg, and feels just as strong.
3. You can physically push on the areas where it hurt before, and it no longer causes pain.
4. You can jog, sprint, or jump without pain.

 

If you are having problems with shin splints or lower leg pain, please contact Summit Pedorthics and we can get you on track to pain free walking!