Shin splints are nasty. They make it impossible for you to wear certain types of shoes. They prevent you from logging all the mileage you need to train for that half-marathon. You've tried ice cups, TheraBand stretching, physical therapy, and even seen your local podiatrist!
Shin splints are pain down the front of your lower leg, or shin. They can be intense and felt as an ache, a stab, or even a burn. While only severe cases yield constant pain, they are most often brought about by shoe selection, long bouts of walking, or running.
Shin splints describe a symptom set associated with the development of adhesion in the anterior compartment of your lower leg. In some cases, the adhesion can get so severe that it sticks down peripheral nerves like the common fibular nerve.
You do have a few options to try at home in order to improve your shin splints. At-home treatment of shin splints revolves around reducing load and trying to improve flexibility around the ankle joint. You'll want to ride your bike to work or try to swap out some of your running mileage with either rowing or stationary biking. In terms of movements that may help shin splints, you'll want to try out eccentric ankle dorsiflexions, eccentric knee-to-butt, and even experiment with utilizing toe spreaders.
At Wildcard Spine and Sport, we use shockwave therapy to remove adhesion, improve function, and reduce pain. That, combined with the aforementioned exercises, can result in 50-75% relief in most patient cases.
At Wildcard Spine and Sport, we specialize in fixing pain that’s lasted longer than six months, even if you’ve seen two or more providers. We are the only practitioners in the five boroughs certified to diagnose and remove adhesion. Click the button below or call the office today at 917-908-0055.