Shin Splints Causes, Symptoms, and How Osteopathy Can Help What are shin splints Shin Splints, medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), is a common and painful condition that can affect walkers, runners and athletes. Pain is usually felt soon after starting exercise and can gradually improve when resting. Although the pain can sometimes fade while exercising, it can eventually become constant even when resting. It can range from mild discomfort to severe, debilitating agony that hinders physical activity. Shin splints typically occur due to overuse or repetitive stress on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach muscles to the bone. Common causes include a sudden increase in training intensity, incorrect footwear, running on hard surfaces and biomechanical irregularities such as flat feet or improper running techniques. Other causes can be having tight calf muscles, weak ankles, tight Achilles tendons, inadequate stretching and excessive stress placed on one leg or hip from running on uneven surfaces or always running in the same direction. To prevent shin splints, change or increase your training gradually. Try and ensure to alternate high intensity training sessions with low impact exercises. Add exercises that work on your overall strength and flexibility such as Pilates or strength training. Train on even or flat surfaces as much as you can. Osteopathy can help Osteopaths begin with a comprehensive assessment to understand the root cause of shin splints. By identifying the underlying factors contributing to shin splints, osteopaths can develop a personalised treatment plan. Addressing physical issues is also essential in the treatment of shin splints. Your osteopath will analyse walking and posture to identify issues that may contribute to shin splints. They may provide advice on proper footwear and orthotics and suggest modifications to running techniques to reduce stress on the shins. Osteopaths use a variety of techniques including soft tissue massage and joint mobilisation to reduce pain and inflammation. These techniques improve blood flow, reduce muscle tension and encourage healing in the injured area. Osteopaths can provide a personalised exercise programme to address muscle inequality and strengthen the muscles around the shinbone. These are crucial in preventing shin splints occurring again. Stretching exercises target tight muscles, while strengthening exercises focus on improving the stability and resilience of the lower leg muscles. Your osteopath will also suggest strategies to avoid overuse injuries. Once the pain has gone, ease back into exercise and increase length and intensity slowly. Avoid hills for the first few weeks and incorporate these in slowly. Remember to warm up and down thoroughly. Continue wearing the right sports shoes and replace them as soon as they start to wear. Book Online Meet the Team
