General Foot Care Information

Shin Splints and Shin Pain

Definition

Shin splints is a term used to describe pain and tenderness in the shin area and is usually caused by exercise, affecting athletes at all levels. It is often a result of doing too much, too soon.

Symptoms

• Tightness, tenderness, aching, throbbing pain along the shin bone (tibia) that comes on with a specific activity, usually a new exercise regime or a change in geographical surrounds. 
• Often settles upon resting but again is exacerbated by exercise. Running and walking can become extremely painful. 
• Starts usually as a dull ache and quickly becomes a sharp and aggravated pain along the shin bone (tibia).

Causes

• Sports people can experience this condition with new training regimes and changes of training location in which new stresses and strains are applied in the training regime.
• Over pronation and poor lower limbbiomechanics when walking and running. 
• Over-training.
• Tightness in the calf muscles.
• Improper or inappropriate footwear.

Treatment

• Footwear Assessment
• Orthotics
• RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation)
• Muscle stretching and strengthening exercises
• Deep tissue massage