Are you experiencing persistent pain in the front of your shins? Have you been engaging in excessive running or activities that involve jumping? If that’s the case, you may have shin splints, also known as ‘medial tibial stress syndrome’. This injury, commonly seen in endurance athletes and those participating in jumping sports, is challenging to rehabilitate due to its ambiguous nature. It occurs due to overuse and placing significant stress on the lower extremities. In this article, we will present the most effective exercises for shin splints that will help alleviate your pain and allow you to resume your usual activities.
What Exactly Are Shin Splints?
The usual way shin splints begin is with a gradual onset of pain in the lower leg that gets worse with activity. The pain may occur on the inside of the shin bone (the medial aspect of the tibia) or even on the front of the shin. Most commonly, the pain is described as a deep, dull boring pain, but it can also be sharp if it becomes more intense.
The article by Winters et al defines Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) as pain occurring along the posteromedial border of the tibia during exercise or when there is pain with palpation over a 5 centimeter or larger area of the posteromedial border of the tibia. This condition is often observed in individuals who exert significant stress on their lower legs, with long-distance runners, dancers, and military personnel having the highest occurrences.
How Do I Get Rid Of Shin Splints?
The initial step in treating shin splints, although not so simple, is to decrease the amount of volume, duration, and/or frequency of activity. This can be challenging for individuals who are training for a race or hoping to remain active. Nevertheless, there are still exercises that can be completed to work other areas of the body while giving the affected area time to heal. It is crucial to allow for relative rest in order to reduce inflammation before progressing to more intense exercises.
How Do I Know If I Have Shin Splints?
Here are some possible factors that could contribute to the development of shin splints.
- Training on an incline or doing a lot of hill training increases the use of the ankle dorsiflexors (muscles that bring your foot towards your nose)
- Increased ankle joint plantar flexion : The proposed theory behind this is this foot position (toes pointed downward) may predispose an individual to more of a forefoot landing with running. which can place more stress through the tibia
- Changes in hip joint range of motion may alter running kinematics leading to excessive loading at the tibia. Want to increase your hip mobility?
- Other studies have also supported increased BMI, excessive foot varus, female sex, and training errors.
Stretches for shin splints
When performing shin splints stretching exercises, the main focus is on the calf muscles that include the larger gastrocnemius muscle and the lower soleus muscle, which are frequently tight. To effectively stretch these muscles, it is crucial to stretch with both bent and straight knees in order to target each muscle specifically.
Shin splints exercises: Gastrocnemius stretch
Leaning against a wall with the back leg straight and keeping the heel pushed into the floor is one of the most crucial shin splints exercises that focus on stretching the larger calf muscle.
Make sure you experience a stretching sensation in the lower leg. If you don’t, adjust your heel position by moving it backward. Keep this position for 20 seconds and then release, repeating the process three times.
If you have very flexible calf muscles, you might find it necessary to stretch using a step.
Shin splints exercises: Soleus stretch
In order to stretch this muscle, it is necessary to bend the knee and relax the overlying Gastrocnemius. The patient should position themselves facing a wall, with the foot of the calf that needs to be stretched placed at the back.
- The knee of the back leg should be bent towards the wall, keeping the heel on the floor.
- A stretch should be felt in the lower part of the back of the calf. hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- A more advanced version of this stretching exercise is to place the forefoot or the front leg on the wall keeping the heel on the floor and gently push the front knee towards the wall.
Shin stretch
By sitting on their heels, the athlete stretches the muscles on the outer front of the lower leg.
- Gently push down on the heels to stretch the front of the leg. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- To increase the stretch do one leg at a time and lift up the knee of the stretching leg.
Strengthening exercises for shin splints
Once the initial painful, inflamed phase has subsided, the focus should shift to stretching when starting to strengthen the muscles of the lower leg.
Calf raise exercise
To strengthen all of the muscles in the lower legs, begin by performing calf raises with both legs together. Once comfortable, advance to performing them with a single leg. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your knees straight. If necessary, use a wall or something similar to maintain balance.
Start by raising your heels as high as you can and then gradually lowering them back to the ground. Take it a step further by standing on a raised platform and lifting your heel off the edge. Slowly bring your heel down below the level of the platform.
Resisted dorsiflexion
To perform an exercise for shin splints involving dorsiflexion, utilize a resistance band to pull your foot upwards. Fasten the band to a stable object or ask someone to hold it in place for you.
Heel and toe walking
The patient’s gait is characterized by exaggerated ankle movements as the heel lifts high off the ground onto the toes.
One way to modify this is by walking either on the toes or on the heels along the length of a room, which can aid in strengthening the calf and shin muscles, respectively.
Ensure that you go through the following process gradually and with precise management, while maintaining the same information and refraining from adding or removing any details.
Returning to full fitness
The aim of shin splints exercises is not solely to eliminate pain, but to achieve full fitness without experiencing symptoms again. If walking does not cause any pain for a period of two weeks, you may gradually recommence running. To provide support during the initial runs, use shin splints taping and make sure you have suitable shoes for your running style or sport. Following each training session, apply ice to the shin for approximately ten minutes.
It is important to stretch properly before and after each training session. Make sure to hold stretches for approximately 30 seconds and repeat them 5 times. Regularly using massage can also aid in preventing the muscles from tightening, hardening, and causing strain on the lower leg.
