Shin splints is otherwise an overload on the medial/frontal side of the shin, especially the periosteum of the tibia bone and adjacent structures. This type of issues affects mainly people involved in running.
There are two main types of shin splints:
- MTSS- (medial Tibial Stress Syndrome), which accounts for 75% of all ailments in the shin region
- ATSS- (Anterior Tibial Stress Syndrome) – an anterior tibia area overload syndrome, mainly due to the location of the tibialis anterior muscle attachment
Symptoms:
- Pain around front of shin bone
- Pain localized on lateral surface of calf
- Pain on medial calf area
- Pain starts after few minutes of exercising
Risk factors:
- Flattened longitudinal arch of the foot
- Reduced rotations of the hip joint
- Limited dorsal flexion of the foot
- Untreated injuries (sprains, fractures, achilles tendon overload)
- Excessive training loads without proper preparation
- Wrong running technique
- Muscular strength ratio: weak tibial muscle in front of the tight strong calf
Treatment will start by completing an exact examination to find the course of the problem. Physiotherapy includes soft tissue techniques, joints mobilisations, exercise plans and acupuncture (when needed). Don’t wait- untreated shin splints will get progressively worse and can affect even your walking pattern!
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