The football season has begun again and the boys of Cambridge United have already played a few of friendlies in preparation for the new season. One of the goals of preseason training is to increase the fitness levels of the players which would include a lot of running. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to injuries that we typically see with long distance runners, like the commonly known Shin Splint injury. Shin Splints however is a term which is commonly used for several different conditions. One of the most common shin problems that is labelled Shin Splints is Medical Tibial Stress Syndrome. Pain is often felt at the front/inside of the shin bone and is caused by an inflammatory process of the periostium (sheet surrounding the bone) which in its turn is caused by an overuse injury of a muscle, called the Tibialis Posterior. The pain often comes on gradually, and eases with activity initially, but aches afterwards.

A shin splint can have several causes, the most common ones are:
 Overpronation of feet
 Oversupination of feet
 Inadequate footwear
 Increasing training too quickly
 Running on hard surfaces.

The first cause of shin splints, overpronation of feet, is the most common one. To illustrate what overpronation actually is, I have included a link to a video so please click on this link if you would like to see it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pODcT55_7zA

Therapy:

In order to properly treat shin splints and prevent them recurring, the causative factors must be taken into consideration. No matter how much rest, anti-inflammatories and massage are used, without correcting the cause of the injury, the symptoms will continue to return.

One of the most important things to find out when you suffer from shin splints is to perform a gait analysis in order to determine if you overpronate or oversupinate. This analysis is performed at our clinic. More information about the Gait Scan can be seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf5SanUPF-4

Biomechanical problems such as overpronation and oversupination should be corrected using custom made insoles like the Tog Insoles which are prescribed in our clinic.Please use this link if you would like to find out for which conditions the insoles could be useful. http://www.miltonchiropractic.co.uk/orthotictherapy.htm

A short course of anti-inflammatory medication will also help, like ibuprofen (always consult a doctor before taking medication).

Occasionally, two other lower leg muscles might be shortened with patients suffering from shin splints, the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus muscles. Stretching these muscles will also help with the management of shin splints.

Prevention

The first rule is to not overdo it! A general rule with running is that distances should not increase by more than 10% per week. So, if you complete a 10 mile run one week, you should not run more than 11 miles the next week. This helps to ensure the muscles are not overworked.

For runners, try to avoid always running on hard pavements as they provide no shock absorption. Try running some of the time on tarmac, grass or even sand to reduce the shock passed through the legs.

Follow these tips and guidelines and I am sure that you will not fall into the "shin splint trap".