Muscle Pain Prevention

“Shin splints” is the generic term often used to describe the lower leg pain that comes from inappropriate or excessive physical exercise. The pain starts near the tibia (the large bone in the front of your lower leg) and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone. If not addressed, the pain can get worse, spread and affect all your physical activities.

Shin splints are often a problem for athletes who aggressively train for extended periods of time. However, individuals who participate in activities such as running on a slanted surface, run in worn-out shoes or engage in sports with frequent starts and stops (like tennis of basketball) are also at risk. Shin splints have also been linked to insufficient warm up techniques and sudden increases in training.

Prevention. The best plan is to avoid the problem, so you might consider the following:

• Choose the right shoes. Replace your shoes often.
• Consider arch supports.
• Start a sport with less impact on your shins.
• Take the time to warm-up and cool-down
• Add strength training for your shins to your workout.
• At the first sign of shin pain, take a break.

If you notice tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner part of your lower leg with or without mild swelling you may have shin splints.

Contact your Chiropractor if:

• Severe pain in your shin follows a fall or accident
• Your shin is hot and inflamed
• Swelling in your shin seems to be getting worse
• Shin pain persists during rest

When you know that the condition is not getting better make an appointment with your chiropractor. If you don’t treat, under treat or fail to change your habits, shin splints can become a chronic condition.

Diagnosis. Sports injuries are most often diagnosed with a physical examination and a discussion about the activity that brought on your pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diagnostic ultrasound may also used to diagnose soft-tissue injuries.

Treating the underlying causes. Chiropractic care can alleviate the symptoms and treat the cause. One of the main causes is overpronation, a condition where the foot is twisted in such a way that the foot’s inner edge supports the body weight. Flat feet are another cause and so are tight calf muscles. Other associated conditions include fixations in the foot or a subluxated sacroiliac joint (where the bone at the bottom of the spine is joined to the two pelvic bones).

As you can see, there are many seemingly unrelated and confusing causes for chronic shin splints. A thorough exam by your chiropractor can diagnose the underlying causes as well as develop a therapeutic exercise program.

Contact Dr. Myers at 503-253-8818