Shin Splints by Mark Hughes
Shin Splints
Shin splints, also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, presents commonly as pain on the inner side of the tibia (shin).
This injury often occurs in runners but also in other activities that include a lot of jumping and repetitive actions on a hard surface, eg basketball or dancing.
It usually comes on after a change in your training routine.
This could be from overtraining, increasing the intensity of your training, or changing the type of training you do.
Other common causes are:
- Poor footwear that do not absorb force well.
- Flat feet or high arches
- Running on uneven terrain
- Weak ankles, hips or core muscle
What to do if you have shin splints?
- Rest: Your body needs time to heal
- Ensure you are wearing supportive footwear
- Choose a more gentle exercise, preferably
non-weight-bearing eg swimming, or cycling - Warm up properly before and after exercise.
- Take ibuprofen or paracetamol to ease the pain
- Apply ice to the front of the shin.
If you feel like any of the above sounds like your symptoms book a consultation with us at Galway Bay Physio today.
Mark Hughes
(MISCP)