Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, commonly known as shin splints, is the inflammation of the tibia (shinbone), as well as the surrounding tendon and muscle tissue. Pain is essentially felt in the shin while running or even walking. Usual coarse of progression is pain that will start after running and then it will later progress to be a very constant and persistent pain.
What is the cause?
Shin splints occur when the tissue surrounding the tibia becomes inflamed, usually as a result of being overworked. Athletes who have shin splints often see this ailment as a result of a suddenly more intense running workload, however can often be the result of the following:
- Weak hip muscles
- Tight calf muscles
- Overpronator (Flat Feet)
- Incorrect running bio-mechanics
Remember to change your running shoes often – it depends on how much you run so it can vary for everyone. Tired and worn out shoes do not have the support needed to keep the stress off those hips, feet and ankles.
What are the symptoms?
- Sharp or dull pain in the shins
- Slight swelling in shins
Our staff is well trained to correctly diagnose and treat shin splints. See below to view all of our advanced treatment techniques.
Tests
Often we can palpate and access in the office if shin splints is truly the issue.
Treatments
Treatment in our office is broken down into three segments:
- Pain reduction
Stopping or decreasing the activity that is causing the pain is the main goal of our first treatment segment. Applying heat and ice alternatively throughout the day will help with both pain and inflammation. Our Class 4 laser treatment is very effective for this injury. - Treatment to restore oxygen and proper nutrients to damaged segment
- Active Release Technique – ART
- Class 4 laser
- Graston Technique Therapy
Successful in effectively treating all soft tissue conditions, whether they are chronic, acute or post- surgical. - E-stim
Electric muscle stimulation using a device that delivers electronic pulses to motor nerves through electrodes placed on the skin, causing a motor response to achieve a number of desired results. - Cold laser
- Ultrasound
- Soft tissue work
- Exercise and proper stretching
We offer a very effective Physiotherapy regiment to both decrease pain and restore proper function.