A Pain in the Shin
Picture this. You are running up Heartbreak Hill, past the halfway mark and suddenly you feel an attack on your shins. You start to limp, shuffle even the rest of the way. You are determined to make it to the top as that is what runners do, push through!
Most runners have experienced Shin Splints aka pain in the shin bone at some point in their running career.
We have seen a steep increase in patients with shin pain in the last 3 months. Why? Most of these cases were non-runners who decided to take up running during the COVID lockdowns. They did not follow a ‘Get Fit for Running’ guide, slapped on whatever shoes were in the closest and set out to pound the pavement. The result? SHIN SPLINTS!
Lets take a quick look at the anatomy. Shin splints most commonly involves overuse, abuse, excessive pressure or sudden pressure change to the tibia (shin bone). The Tibialis Anterior is the major muscles that attaches along the front border of your shin bone. Power of the Tibialis Anterior is vital during running to dorsiflex your ankle, allowing adequate toe lift during running, absorb eccentric forces as you initiate the stance phase of running and balance. It also helps to maintain your arch during walking and running – so we need this muscle to function correctly. Severe weakness of this muscle leads to ‘foot drop’ or a ‘high step’ walking type.
Tibia aka shin bone.
So who is affected by shin splints?
Runners
Tennis players
Footballers
Basketballers
Netballers
Soccer players
People with poor mobility
People with poor strength
People with flat feet
People with high arches
People with poor running technique
People with poor footwear
People with inferior training programs
There are 3 common types of Shin splints.
Compartment Syndrome – High pressure swelling that is trapped in a limb. It is considered an emergency and is required to be checked by a medical professional ASAP. Mainly due to a sudden increase in activity.
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) – Repetitive stress and strain with little recovering, injuring the muscles that attach along the inside border of the tibia.
Tibial Stress Fracture – Repetitive stress and strain causing small cracks within the tibia. You must get this assessed and stop running immediately.
The most common of these is MTSS. So what should you notice if you are suffering from MTSS?
Pain and tenderness along the front and inside of your shins
Pain can occur before, during or after exercise
Do NOT try and push through shin pain – it will only continue to hurt a lot more!
What can cause shin splints?
Having a flat foot or high arch
Sudden increase in exercise
Overexercising on hard surfaces
Imbalance of tight and weak muscles
Running in poor footwear
Poor running technique
With this increased knowledge around Shin splints, it is important to ask the question, can we prevent them? A number of research papers have investigated this exact question, but Thacker et al in 2002 conducted a Systematic review of the literature around the notion that stretching can prevent splint splints and here is what they found.
–> Stretching before exercise/ activity does NOT work.
There was no decrease in shin splint injury risk with stretching. This statement merely appreciates that the causes of shin splints are multifaceted and an individualised approach assessing all contributing factors needs to occur. Only then can a treatment program be tailored to your needs. There is more to dealing with shin splints then simple stretching.
Have shin pain? Do not keep running. Stop now and get assessed. Call 9873 2770 or book online today ( https://bookings.nookal.com/bookings/location/39XKS ).