SHIN PAIN

Shin pain or shin splints refers to pain along your shin bone or tibia. The tibia or shin bone starts under your knee and runs down to the foot on the front part of your leg.The 

Shin pain is caused by repetitive stress on muscles attached to the shin bone.

It is an overuse injury that is common in people who take part in exercises that put stress on your legs such as runners, rugby and football players.

It can also develop after hard exercise such as hiking.

Signs and symptoms of shin splints

• Dull or aching pain down the front of your leg.
• Shin pain that gets worse with exercise.
• Shins that hurt when you touch them.
• Pain on the shin that gets better with rest.

Risk Factors of developing shin splints

• Running on uneven terrain such as hills or hard surfaces.
• Increased intensity of training or change in training routine.
• Wear and tear of shoes.
• Not warming up before exercise and/or stretching after exercise.
• Having a flat foot.

Physiotherapy Interventions

The goal of physiotherapy treatment is to relieve pain and enable the player to return to sport pain free.

Treatment would comprise of:

• Ultrasound therapy and electrostimulation for pain relief.
• Soft tissue mobilization to relieve tension on the muscles
• Running and activity retraining to prevent worsening and recurrence.

Prevention Measures

• Avoid over stressing activities.
• Wearing proper footwear.
• Use of shock absorbing insoles when running or playing.
• Introduction of leg strengthening exercises to prepare your legs for high impact activities.

When starting a new activity, start slow to give your body time to adjust to the new movements.