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Shin Splints is a common term to identify the medial tibial stress syndrome, characterised by pain along the front or inner edge of the shinbone (Tibia), usually caused by overuse.
Overuse and repetitive stress on the Tibia, muscles and connective tissue which connect them to the shinbone generally is the main cause of shin splints.
Shin splints can affect many athletes, and in particular runners, dancers, footballers, and tennis players.
Shin splints can affect non-athletes too, who suddenly increase their activity level.
Sports massage can help both treat and prevent shin splints by reducing the stress acting on the Tibia and related muscles.
Sports massage can reduce this mechanical stress on the shinbone and its muscles by improving the lower leg biomechanics.Â
Sports massage can improve the lower leg biomechanics with different actions such as:
The best sports massage to treat and prevent shin splints should be performed targeting the muscles of the lower leg.
An expert Sports Therapist should perform the sports massage on both the front and back compartments of the lower leg.
In the images below, you can see the most important muscles involved in the shin splints biomechanics.
In our Sports Injury Clinic in London, we have designed a specific physiotherapy protocol for shin splints.
This protocol combines different hands-on physiotherapy techniques and high-tech equipment, such as:
If you have been experiencing pain along the front or inner edge of the shinbone (Tibia) for more than three weeks, it is advisable to check it with an accurate medical diagnostic, such as:
With these two medical diagnostics, you will be able to understand the condition of muscles, connective tissue, and bones.
With an accurate diagnosis, the physiotherapist or sports therapist will be able to set up the best recovery plan for you.
The best injury prevention plan to follow in order to reduce the chances of getting shin splints is a combination of self-treatment and sports therapy, such as:
Stretching is like a workout for the flexibility of your muscles and has the action of a self-massage.
Keeping your lower leg muscles flexible and loose will reduce the chances of getting shin splints and will improve your sports performance as well.
Also, if you get a sports massage or deep tissue massage for prevention ( before getting muscle pain or stiffness ), an experienced sports therapist will find your initial muscle tension, trigger points, and knots, which, building up with time, could lead you to muscle injury or muscle pain.
Plyometric exercises are very helpful to make your lower leg more resilient to shin splints as they will improve your explosive power under stressful conditions (jumping and landing ) of your ankle and knees.
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