SOLE Blog

June 13th, 2011

Diagnosing and combating shin splints

Have you ever been out for a run and felt a sharp, stabbing pain in your shins? Those, my friends, are shin splints. SOLE has been working closely with Dr. Reed Ferber at the University of Calgary and the Running Injury Clinic. We're happy to provide you with some of Dr. Ferber's exercises to help combat shin splints.

What causes shin splints?

A common cause of this nagging injury is a sudden increase in distance or intensity of a workout schedule. The increased strain can inflame lower leg muscles which are used for lifting the foot. The ailment can be further aggravated by people who tend to pronate when they run and walk. Additional risk factors include:

• Sudden increase in physical activity.
• Tight/inflexible Achilles tendon and/or weak ankle muscles.
• Improper/worn-out footwear.
• Engaging in sports and/or activities with sudden and frequent stops, including basketball, tennis, sports conditioning and sprinting.
• Excessive stress on the lower extremity due to jumping, dancing, swimming.
• Running on hard surfaces or an incline (hills, stairs) for a prolonged period of time.
• Not stretching prior to engaging in intense exercise/activity.

Symptoms to look for

If you're not sure if you are suffering from shin splints, some symptoms to look for are:

• Pain along the shins.
• Swelling in the lower leg.
• Discomfort/pain during exercise along the front of the lower leg.

Muscle strengthening exercises

Dr. Ferber, from the University of Calgary, has helped SOLE develop the following exercises to help prevent and treat shin splints.

Ankle Inverter (seated)

Directions:

• Sit with knee straight and loop elastic around foot, and a stationary object to your side.
• Pull forefoot inward, don't allow leg to rotate.
• 2 seconds out and 2 seconds in, control the motion throughout.

Ankle Dorsiflexor (seated)

Directions:

• Sit with knee straight and loop elastic around foot and a stationary object in front of you.
• Pull forefoot upward keeping knee straight.
• 2 seconds out and 2 seconds in, control the motion throughout.

Perform these exercises 3-5 days per week and always after or well before a workout or a run. Gently stretch before and after. After 3-4 weeks of doing these exercises, performing them 1-2 times per week will help you to maintain the strength you have gained. If your symptoms are not significantly reduced after 3-4 weeks, seek the advice of a health care professional as other factors may be contributing to the injury.

Muscle stretching exercises

Remember that stretching a muscle prior or following a workout is simply warm-up and cool-down, respectively. To optimally stretch a muscle and subsequently improve flexibility, stretching should be done at a separate time from the workout (i.e. a few minutes before going to bed). Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times. There is no physiological benefit to holding a stretch for more than 30 seconds.

How can SOLE help?

SOLE Custom Footbeds and Platinum Sandals provide cushioning and custom support for the entire foot, lifting your foot into the optimal position. This reduces the excessive traction forces that cause pain and inflammation in the shin area. R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compress and elevate) has proven to be an effective method to help alleviate the pain associated with shin splits.

For more information on how SOLE can help with shin splints, please check out our shin splints page on our website.

If you're a sufferer of shin splints, and you've found other successful means for treating them, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Posted by: Matt Lambert at 3:56 p.m. in Medical | Comments (2)