Physical Therapy for Shin Splints

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Physical Therapy for Shin Splints

HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP SHIN SPLINTS?

If you are suffering from shin splints, you are probably wondering what you can do to fix it. Shin splints, known formally as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), is a potential cause of pain along the inside of the shin bone (tibia) amongst athletes and active people. Left untreated and without a modification to activity, shin splints can develop into a more serious bone stress injury. Physical therapy is an excellent tool to decrease the symptoms of shin splints by addressing the underlying causes. Physical therapy can help you participate in the activities you love pain-free while also helping you avoid unwanted complications and recurrence of your symptoms.

WHAT DOES PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR SHIN SPLINTS LOOK LIKE?

Physical therapy for shin splints is aimed at ameliorating symptoms of pain and discomfort along the tibia, facilitating healing of affected tissues and increasing the resiliency of those tissues against the repetitive stress of your favorite activities. My team of therapists and I will start by getting to know your concerns and goals and performing a thorough physical exam to assess the area while identifying areas around the lower leg that may be contributing to your symptoms. During treatment your therapist may prescribe modalities to lessen inflammation, employ manual therapy interventions to target joint and tissue mobility while also prescribing movements and exercises for strength, motor control and mobility to be performed in the home and the clinic.

HOW LONG WILL I NEED PHYSICAL THERAPY?

The duration of your physical therapy plan of care will vary depending on the severity of symptoms and what types of underlying factors are being addressed in therapy. While full resolution of symptoms can take some time, you may begin to see some results right away. You should experience improvements in many symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and inflammation within a couple of weeks. Progression in strength, flexibility and overall mobility that allows you to stand and walk more comfortably, may take longer. Achieving long lasting results may take some time, but dedication to your program will not only help you achieve these results but will help to decrease the likelihood of symptoms recurring in the future.

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WHAT DO SHIN SPLINTS FEEL LIKE?

The pain caused by shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is felt along the middle or bottom third of the inside of the tibia–the larger lower leg bone. You may feel a sharp pain when touching or pressing the affected area and experience a deep ache with activity. Shortly after symptoms develop, the discomfort is often felt at the beginning of a bout of exercise but will usually improve or disappear after warming up. If left untreated, symptoms can progress to persisting throughout the bout of exercise and eventually can remain bothersome even at rest.

WHAT CAUSES SHIN SPLINTS?

Shin splints are considered an overuse injury and are most commonly seen in athletes or active folk who run, jump or sprint at high volumes. Runners, dancers, basketball and tennis players and military personnel are some of the groups at risk for developing shin splints. The presence of a flattened arch, a previous running injury, a higher body mass index and the presence of excessive hip motion during activity can predispose one of these athletes to developing shin splints.

Anatomically, the tendons of several muscles that move and stabilize the foot and ankle attach along the medial border of the tibia. With repetitive activation of these muscles microdamage can begin to accumulate along this tendinous attachment and along the outer layers of bone. While we often think about shin splints as a muscular injury, the truth is that this condition is an early stress reaction of the affected bone and if left untreated can progress further until it is a tibial stress fracture, an injury that is much more serious and requires a more prolonged recovery time usually with modified weight bearing and cessation of high impact activities for quite a while.

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End Injury Progression

Physical therapy for shin splints has proven to slow and even stop back pain issues and injury progression in many cases.

**Relieve Pain**
The movements used in this technique can target your lower back, upper back, hips, shoulders, and neck helping you to manage pain during the course of your physical therapy treatments.

**Improve Range of Motion**
Posture awareness is an important area to focus on due to the fact that certain positions may cause you further back pain.

Restore Mobility

You can gain mobility and flexibility by taking part in the stretches and exercises as prescribed by your physical therapist.

How Long Will Shin Splint Physical Therapy Treatments Last?

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help correct your shin splint issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy for shin splints sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized shin splint physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your shin splint PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

WHAT PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENTS ARE BEST FOR SHIN SPLINTS?

As is the case with physical therapy for any condition, the best physical therapy treatment for shin splints is the one that is individualized to your needs and your body. This is why your therapist will take the time to thoroughly interview you and perform a physical examination during the first session. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.

Though your treatment will not be exactly the same as the treatment of another person with shin splints, below is a list of interventions and goals used to address this condition.

Activity modification: in order to lessen the stress placed on the tendons and bones along the medial tibia, a reduction in the volume of activity may be recommended initially if symptoms are severe. The ultimate goal is to help you return to your prior level of activity without symptoms so this should be a temporary measure to lessen the likelihood of progression to a stress fracture and to allow time to address other contributing factors.

Promote bone and tendon healing: aside from modifications to activity, your physical therapist may utilize modalities such as ultrasound, dry needling techniques, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization and so forth to promote bone and tendon healing.

Address limitations in strength, mobility and motor control in nearby areas: no area of the body works in isolation. The amount of work, stress and strain endured by one area is affected by the strength, mobility, coordination and motor control of adjacent areas. Working to address imbalances in these qualities throughout the lower body through interventions like strengthening, stretching and neuromuscular re-education is important for long term symptom management.

Improve quality of movement: Improving the quality of movements you perform repetitively such as running or jumping may help to redistribute forces more effectively throughout the lower body, thus lessening the repetitive stress along the tibia.

Support the arch: since overpronation or a flattened arch is a risk factor for developing shin splints, your therapist may suggest arch taping, orthotics and exercises to improve the dynamic stability of the foot.

If you are dealing with a shin splints and are ready to find a long-lasting solution to your pain call us today to learn more about our services and schedule an evaluation