Footy finals are ramping up! How are your shins feeling?
This year has been a strange sort of year for sport all round - players and fans alike.
Shin splints are most common at the beginning of the footy pre-season training. If you find yourself complaining of shin pain, you might have shin splints.
Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, are an exercise related pain. Shin splints commonly occur at the inner aspect of the leg.
Shin splints are an overuse injury, resulting from repetitive activity – such as running or jumping. Pain is caused by an inflammation of the lining of the leg bone at the point where muscles attach.
Some things that might contribute to the development of shin splints include biomechanical abnormalities (e.g. a flat foot or a rigid high arched foot), poor shock absorption, knee position, footwear, and changes to training regimes.
There are a variety of different options available to treat shin splints, including rest (although non-weight bearing exercise such as swimming is generally ok), anti-inflammatory medications (taken only as directed), ice application, massage techniques, ultrasound, orthoses, or shockwave therapy. Your Podiatrist may recommend orthoses for your shoes, the aim of these is to correct biomechanical abnormalities occurring in the foot and lower limb. This allows the foot to function better and reduce the stress placed on the leg.
