Shin Splints and Chiropractic

by Moyer Total WellnessApr 10, 2019

Whether you are training for a marathon, an athlete in the middle of a season or a mom chasing your small child around, shin splints can slow you down. Shin splints are caused by excessive forces on the shin bone and the tissue around it which causes the muscles to swell and increases pressure against the bone. The most common symptom felt with shin splints is burning pain, swelling and heat felt along the front side of the shin bone. If left unchecked, small tears in the muscle and bone can form which can lead to a longer recovery time. The shin, and the muscle and joints around it, are responsible for shock absorption, supporting the foot, and raising and lowering the toes. Let’s explore how chiropractic for shin splints can be a very effective treatment to alleviate pain quickly.

In addition to running, here are some other causes of shin splints:

-Flat Feet Syndrome

-Worn down shoes

-Running/walking on hard or uneven surfaces

-Downhill running

-Lack of flexibility or not properly stretching before exercise

-Fast start and stop activities (soccer, basketball, football, etc)

What to do if you have shin splints:

If you are starting to feel pain, burning or swelling on the front of the shin the first course of action is to stretch, ice and rest the area. If you have tried these options and felt no relief, chiropractic care may be right for you.

Here are a couple ways that chiropractic care can help those suffering from shin splints:

Body and Joint Alignment

One of the main principles of chiropractic is to treat the body as an interconnected system as opposed to treating each individual part of the body or symptom separately. A chiropractor may work on a seemingly unrelated part of the body in order to treat your symptomatic area. For example, when using chiropractic for shin splints, a chiropractor may work to align your spine and pelvis which will then lessen the impact of activity sent to your lower legs.

Pain Reduction

Chiropractic care is a proven way to relieve pain that is accompanied with most musculoskeletal conditions. Sometimes all it takes is one or two visits in order for symptoms to disappear, other times it takes a series of appointments. Along with spinal adjustments, we utilize Graston technique, kinesiotaping, electro-stimulation and other modalities to help relieve a patient’s pain.

Stretch and Strengthening Exercises

Chiropractors are trained to take a whole-body approach when it comes to treating any musculoskeletal condition. Whenever you are experiencing pain there are always muscles that will either get tight or weak as a response to that pain. By identifying the weak and/or tight muscles chiropractors are able to prescribe stretches and exercises that will not only help alleviate shin splint pain but also keep it from coming back.

Written by: Josh Orrico, DC

Photo Credit: Canva

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