How to treat shin splints

Target Body Training has a new team member; Rebekah Mcdonald.

Rebekah is a fantastic sports massage therapist and qualified with VTCT. She is also a level 3 sports development coach and with this volunteers with Brighton and Hove athletics team where she meets a range of athletes, competitive and non-competitive.

At Target Body Training she offers a professional and bespoke treatment within the comfort of the treatment room in Hove. She offers both deep tissue sports massage and relaxing massage. She is passionate about what she does and the incredible benefits that sports massage can have. Sports massage can produce a number of positive benefits ranging from improved posture, improved circulation, improved ranges of movements and speeds up injury recovery.

One of the most common injuries for runners are shin splints especially with Brighton Marathon fast approaching. They are painful and prevent you from further training. Rebekah as a keen runner herself shares her top tips:

It's coming to that time of year! All preparations are well under way for the marathons. The organisers, the volunteers and the supporters are all getting ready to give their all to play their part on the big day and if you’re brave enough to run it then you’re nearly there!

For new marathon runners, I can imagine your training may have been difficult to begin with, but now I reckon you're running at least 17 miles blissfully! And for the more experienced marathon runners...well you know what to expect on race day. Regardless of your level of experience, I know there is one thing that I hope I never get whilst training, the Shin Splits!

Shin splints, also known as tibial stress syndrome is one of the most common injuries when it comes to running. The pain can occur during or post exercise and in extreme cases, it can be felt constantly. Depending on the exact cause, the pain may be located along either side of the tibia or in the inter. The area may be painful to the touch even swollen muscles can sometimes irritate the insertions in the feet, causing them to feel weak or numb; this is often in extreme cases.
 There are a few possible reasons for the cause of your shin splints so I would always recommend seeing your physio or sports massage therapist to see how to prevent them long term. Once shin splints occur, the main thing people get told is to rest but for the keen runner, you want some tips on how to speed up recovery and get back on the track, so here are my top 3 on how to reduce the risk of getting shin splints and of course, how to treat them.

1)   Stretching

Stretching is an effective way to get rid of shin splints, it also helps reduce the risk of shin splints occurring. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (collectively known as the calf) can contribute towards pain in the shins when they're holding a lot of tension, so stretching is a simple yet effective way to release some of the pressure on the shins. Take a look below at the photos to show how to effectively stretch these muscles:  

Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds and repeat 2-3 times as shown, before and after training, a great time for stretching is after a hot bath or shower when the muscles are really warm.

Below shows how to roll your calf muscles either with a foam roller or with a cylinder shaped object like a water bottle. Roll with a little pressure on the bottom of the calf muscles about 2 inches above the achilles and towards the top nearer the back of the knee. This will target some of the trigger points within the gastroc and soleus. 

2)      Insoles

For many runners, including myself, my feet pronate causing discomfort to the soles. There are 3 different types of pronation;

Over pronantion - the outside of the heel firstly makes contact with the ground. But as the stride continues, the foot rolls inward more than it should, which is why it is called "overpronation." The foot and ankle have problems supporting the body, and shock isn't absorbed efficiently. Lastly the front of the foot pushes off the ground using the big toe and second toe.

Under pronation- the outside of the heel makes initial contact with the ground. However, the inward movement of the foot occurs with less rolling in than for those with normal or flat feet. Forces of impact are concentrated on the outside smaller area of the foot and are not distributed as efficiently. Most of the work is done by the smaller toes on the outside of the foot when pushing off.

Normal pronation - the outside of the heel makes contact with the ground. The foot then rolls inward and comes in complete contact with the ground, it can support your body weight without any problem. The rolling in of the foot distributes the forces of impact. This movement is called "pronation," and it's critical to shock absorption to prevent lower leg injuries, being shin splints.

I wonder whether you know how you run? If you don’t or you’re uncertain I would recommend going to a sports shop and they will evaluate your running technique and be able to recommend a bespoke insole for your shoes that would give the correct support to your feet, either that or the best running shoe for you. I can highly recommend ‘Run’ on 46 Blatchington Road in Hove, www.run-shop.co.uk they will provide a thorough gait analysis and provide you with the correct information.  It is so effective and makes such a difference and will also reduce the chances of shin splints.

3) Massage
 

Sports massage is great for treating many sports injuries. Concentrating on the affected area to release the tension within the muscles releases pressure upon surrounding bones and muscles. For many marathon runners this has helped reduce the pain in the shins. Because we know how debilitating shin splints are we at Target Body Training are offering half price treatments for the next 2 weeks. The Brighton Marathon is in 10 days so whether it be pre-race massage or post race relaxation then book in early to avoid disappointment at info@targetbodytraining.co.uk 

Take a look at other treatments we offer at www.targetbodytraining.co.uk/sports-massage

Remember

Pay attention to your shins. When you can feel the pain during running, stop and stretch to see if that helps. If it doesn't make any difference I recommend going home and resting with application of some ice to reduce any swelling that may occur in the muscles. However, don't avoid exercising altogether!  Alternatively you can do other activities like swimming, keeping you active but keeping the weight off your legs.

Warm up and cool down properly before and after any training!

Drink plenty of water. Water will also keep the muscles hydrated reducing fatigue after long training sessions. 

All the best to those doing the marathon!

Rebekah McDonald