Shin Splints – What Are They?
Filed Under shin splint info | Leave a Comment
It has happened to every young athlete at one time or another. They come home after a great practice or tremendous game, and then an hour or so laterstart to notice a pain in their shins. The pain gets worse and worse, at times it feels like they can’t even walk due to the flexing of their foot and the attached muscle. Yep, they have shin splints.
Shin splints is more or less a generic name for muscle pain that occurs near the shins. It can be caused by many things, including jumping, running, or any other form of physical activity. Shin splints can also be a symptom of a much serious problem such as a stress fracture, or lack of essential vitamins in the blood.
Do you know what the main function of the tibialis anterior, or anterior shin, is? Quite simply, its main function is to merely raise the toe. When a runner continually runs and lands on the heel of the foot instead of the toes, the toes are basically over extended, causing the muscle to stretch. This stretching then causes a reflex action in the muscle, causing an equally powerful contraction. It is the contraction that leads to soreness and injury to the muscle.
Shin splints are one of the easiest injuries to provide treatment for – the main treatment is rest. Experimental treatments for shin splints include acupuncture, and even aspirin is not seen as a definite treatment. A home remedy to temporarily relieve the symptoms of shin splints is to sit up in a warm bathtub so the legs are fully extended with toes pointed up. Then slowly point your toes back towards your body, stretching your calf and shin muscles. It is believed this counteracts the reflex contraction and decreases the amount of recovery time it takes to be completely free of shin splint pain.
As always, if you think your shin splint pain is more serious, or could be the sign of a stress fracture, consult your physician immediately.
