Shin Splints Treatment

Archive for the ‘Shin Splints Articles’ Category

Obviously you know that this website is all about the treatment of Shin splints, how to prevent it and how to get rid of it quickly.

• You all know how painful this injury can be.
• You all know it’s best to get over this as quickly as possible or prevent completely.
• The problem is that many of us simply don’t look for the most obvious and effective ways that we can help ourselves and fellow athletes.

There are some really simple ways for you to prevent any pain from starting in the first place and there are some really simple ways for you to treat the condition if you already suffer from it. This was highlighted recently as I was helping my wife train for a charity run in aid of a cancer research organisation.

Through my own experience and knowledge I have gained by creating this website my first advice and I have to say my most effective was – To Train on Grass!

You see so many times that your harsh impact of consistent pounding on hard concrete surfaces and pavements is what causes the aggravation, inflammation and injury in the first place. If you can run on soft surfaces for all or the majority of your training, then you are going to avoid the risk right from the beginning.

If you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach that running on the sand is even better. This advice worked brilliantly for my wife. She went from being a complete novice runner to someone who could lick 10K in a couple of months without any injury or any sign of shin splints.

What If You Do Get Injured?

If you do start to experience pain that I must stress the importance of going back to basics. When shipments begin you will have swelling of a thin piece of tissue that runs parallel and next to your shin bone. You have to take that swelling down as quickly as possible…..

And the most obvious answer is to use ice after your workout. Wrap the ice in a thin towel so it is not too cold and doesn’t give you an ice burn. Leave it in contact with the painful area for a good 20 minutes after you have finished exercising.

This is really obvious and perhaps too obvious as so many runners, walkers and athletes ignore the benefit of using ice to reduce swelling.

There are many other effective methods for prevention and treatment so make sure you check out our homepage to discover exactly what they are, click here – Shin Splints Treatment

A sprained ankle can be very painful business usually a sports injury, although it is also quite common to do similar damage in everyday life. The most common type of sprain is where the ankle and foot twists inwards and damages the ligaments and tendons on the outside of the foot.

Damage to the inside of the ankle is very uncommon. Most people have this injury whilst running on uneven surfaces. You could be a cross-country runner or a footballer but the cause is usually the same.

This type of injury must be treated quickly with some basic but very effective first aid. Remember these basic principles that can be remembered with the word RICE.

• R stands for rest. The foot must be rested for 24 to 48 hours to prevent any further damage and to allow the damaged ligaments to repair.
• I stands for ice. Use a bag of ice or a frozen damp cloth and place this Directly onto the sprained joint. This will help reduce any inflammation and pain.
• C stands for compression. It is a good idea to bandage and compress the injury and swelling, but it is important not to do this so tight that it reduces blood flow. Firm but gentle is ideal.
• And finally the E stands for elevation. It is important to get comfortable and then raise the leg of the injured ankle in the air. Aim to get the foot higher than the heart and this will prevent too much blood from pumping to the injured area and causing more swelling and more pain.

If you follow these basic treatments were sprained ankle you should recover fairly quickly. However, it may be wise to visit your doctor just to check you have done no serious damage to your ligaments or bone.

Shin Splints Treatment

As you well know shin splints is a very painful injury so finding a suitable treatment should be top of your agenda right now. This pain is commonly experienced by serious hikers and runners but it is commonly found in people who participate in any high impact sport.

Preventing more damage is absolutely essential too. So here are some top tips and advice that will help you stop getting this problem in the first place or preventing it getting worse.

When you are running or walking ensure you have the right footwear. You footwear must be flexible. Obviously a complete flimsy sole is no good but it should also be able to flex both length and width ways across the sole, whilst still providing some support. If you foot is rigid your ankles and shins and supporting muscles will be fighting this lack of movement with every step you take.

Next try to run and walk on softer surfaces. Obviously this cannot be done during your normal day-to-day routines. For example you can’t change the surface you walk on whilst you are at work. However, you can change where you choose to run and exercise or hike. Many runners workout on the hard road surfaces and many hikers and follow rocky paths. Try to swap these for a few weeks and use bark chip routes, fields, grass or even soft muddy tracks.

Try not to over stride as this is a major cause of your splints. It is okay to let the leg trail far behind you but do not step out in front too much. This puts too much pressure on the front of the lower leg, so check your stride and adjust accordingly.

Obviously preventing splints in the first place is crucial as to its preventing them from getting any worse. Learn to control and alleviate the pain will help you live a more comfortable sporting an active lifestyle so don’t forget to include some exercises that can help with this problem.

Exercises that help strengthen the quadriceps leg muscles and calf leg muscles are a great place to start. Learn more about them here – shin splints treatment

Massage or should I say deep tissue massage is a very effective method of treating the painful shin splints condition. However there are a few challenges and difficulties that need to be overcome with this technique.

Firstly when it comes to massaging the leg below the knee along what we call the shinbone it is important that you do not actually massage the bone or swollen tissue directly. Not only would this be incredibly painful they would also aggravate the area more than simply make it worse.

The deep tissue massage technique is to be applied to the area around the inflammation. This will stimulate blood flow to the affected area which in turn increases the recovery rate. Massage can also help to physically push harmful toxins away from the area.

If you do decide to massage your leg and keep away from direct contact with your injury.

The second challenge comes from attempting to massage yourself. Not only can it be a tedious task but it can be rather awkward to get yourself into the right position. Not to mention that unless you are qualified sports therapist, physiotherapist or massage therapist then you are really no what you’re doing and you could cause yourself more injury.

Of course it is imperative that you visit a professional. Preferably someone who has experience in treating this injury. The downside to this is that it will cost you and the more experienced person has the more you are likely to pay.

Of course if you have the money available for this type of therapy and treatment for shin splints is very effective, non-invasive and completely natural.