Whether you are an training for a marathon, avid exerciser, an exuberant shopper, or a small child chaser, you have probably felt tightening and burning in your shin at one point in your life. Sometimes, the pain stops when the activity ceases, but other times the pain remains. If shin pain continues bothering you, it may be time to face the fact you have shin splints.
The shin is a bone located in the front part of your lower leg. Shin splints commonly occur in athletes who have intensified or changed their training routines. They also show up in regular people who have changed or added activity to their routine. Shin splints are usually the symptom of underlying biomechanical imbalances in the kinetic chain in addition to the above.
The lower leg muscles and shin bone (Tibia) has a lot of responsibility during exercise, as it absorbs the shock of the steps, raises the toes, and support the arch of the foot.
A few main culprits play a part in shin splints:
- failing to stretch or foam roll properly before and after exercising
- walking or running on hard surfaces, like pavement
- wearing the wrong type of shoes during activity
- over-exerting the body with strenuous activity & over training
- skipping periods of rest between exercise
- muscular imbalance and poor biomechanics
Individuals who perform any type of exercise should take appropriate measures to alleviate the above risk factors of shin splints. If you notice pain and soreness in the front part of your lower leg on the bone, know how to treat this injury properly.
If rest and ice aren’t doing the job and you’re still suffering pain, it’s time to see a doctor. A thorough exam and possibly an x-ray will diagnose the problem.
Sports Chiropractic care is a powerful choice for treating shin splints and reducing their recurrence. Five significant ways a sports chiropractic treatment benefits those suffering from shin splints are:
Reduction in pain
Chiropractic is proven to relieve the pain associated with bodily injuries and medical conditions, including shin splints. Sometimes one visit is enough to relieve the pain, other times the pain decreases over a series of appointments. Being able to diminish a high degree of pain down to a manageable level is possible for shin splint patients through chiropractic.
Full body alignment improves body biomechanics
The premise behind chiropractic is that it treats the body as a whole, and, in doing so, promotes healing and health to the injured or diseased areas. A chiropractor may work on your neck to help your calf. With shin splints, he or she may align your spine and joints to lessen the impact of activity on your shins. Again, the entire body is treated in order to create the best environment for health restoration.
Manual therapy like Active Release Techniques or Graston Technique.
Breaking up scar tissue, adhesions, and inflammation in the calf is key to a full recovery. Failure to treat the injured muscles with manual therapy may result in a reoccurrence of the injury.
Treating shin splints is a common procedure for chiropractors. Common practice is to adjust the calf, ankle, and foot to stretch and increase blood flow to the area.
Drug free treatment option
A primary benefit of chiropractic care is it requires no over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Individuals who suffer from stomach issues, or simply prefer to avoid drugs, find chiropractic visits a productive alternative to manage pain and promote healing.
Strengthening, Stretching and Foam Rolling
Once you are diagnosed with shin splints your doctor should prescribe therapeutic exercises, stretching, and foam rolling to help heal the injury and prevent it from coming back.
Chiropractors don’t just treat the spine. Your Doctor of Chiropractic will set an overall plan of attack for optimal recovery when dealing with shin splints.
It’s routine for sports chiropractors to alleviate the pain of shin splints. Identifying the cause of the problem and prescribing the proper treatment via adjustments, manual therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises the individual will recover faster. Pre and post activity foam rolling for the lower extremity will prevent scar tissue build up. These exercises further expand on the positive effects of the chiropractic therapy.
If you are one of the many people dealing with shin splints, don’t despair! Consider Dr. David Ness for your treatment option or in conjunction with other modes of treatment. Within a few visits, you will experience pain reduction, and enjoy a decreased risk of ever dealing with painful shin splints again.
Dr. David Ness is a sports chiropractor practicing in NY since 1988, and New Paltz, NY since 2002. Dr. Ness is in his 3rd season as the team chiropractor for Army West Point Football. Dr. Ness has over 13 years experience working with college athletes and runners. Dr. Ness uses Active Release Techniques, cold laser, and therapeutic exercise & stretching programs to provide quick relief to patient’s suffering from shin splints.