Shin Splints Treatment and Rehabilitation Singapore
Are you experiencing pain in your shins after a run or jog? You could be experiencing a shin splint. Shin splints refer to one of the most common types of lower leg injuries. It typically happens to people who participate in activities that involve high-impact stress on the feet and legs, including runners, military personnel and dancers. Studies suggest that shin splints account for 6% to 16% of all running injuries while having a prevalence of 22% in dancers.
Shin Splints in Singapore
Similarly, shin splints are rather common in Singapore as well. Jogging is one of the easiest sports for beginners to pick up. For beginners, insufficient or improper warm-up before running or sudden increases in the intensity of their run can expose them to shin splints.
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What are Shin Splints?
Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), refers to pain experienced at the shin (the large bone in the front of your leg) as a result of overexerting the muscles, tendons and bone tissue. Inflammation occurs, causing pain. While shin splints are usually not serious and can be healed without any long-term health problems, in cases where shin splints are left untreated, they can lead to complications such as a tibial stress fracture. It is especially dangerous if you attempt to continue your physical activity without recovering from your shin splint, aggravating the injury.
Symptoms of Shin Splints
Symptoms of shin splints include:
- Pain along the tibia that can range from mild to severe
- Swelling of the lower legs
- Pain that worsens with physical activity and goes away with rest
- Chronic pain, if the condition worsens
While shin splints are typically not a serious condition, it is still recommended that you get them checked out if you experience the above symptoms as they could be caused by other conditions that may be more serious. In addition, ignoring your shin splint can cause the injury to worsen, potentially leading to chronic pain or other health complications.
Risk Factors for Shin Splints
The follow factors may increase your risks of developing shin splints:
- You are a runner, especially if you are a beginner
- Sudden increase of duration, intensity or frequency of exercise
- Regularly running on hard surfaces such as concrete
- Running on uneven ground or slopes
- You are flat-footed
- You have high arches
- Weak ankles or core muscles
- Tight Achilles tendon or calf muscles
Complications of Shin Splints
A shin splint usually does not cause serious health problems. However, if they are severe, they can limit your ability to carry out daily activities. If you have a shin splint and choose to ignore it and continue straining your injured leg, it can lead to:
- Tibial stress fracture. A stress fracture occurs when overexertion or injuries lead to additional stress placed on the bone, causing it to crack.
- Compartment syndrome. Shin splints can cause your leg to swell, causing pressure to build up, which limits blood flow to the rest of your lower leg and foot. This can prevent your tissues from getting the nutrients and oxygen required via your bloodstream. Swelling and numbness may be experienced. Compartment syndrome can sometimes be considered a medical emergency and surgery may be needed to restore blood flow.
Diagnosing Shin Splints
To diagnose shin splints, your doctor will carry out a physical examination and assess your medical history. In some cases, X-rays or other imaging tests may be required to rule out other possible medical conditions that share similar symptoms.
Preventing Shin Splints
If you are at a higher risk of developing shin splints, here are some methods that you can use to prevent shin splints:
Reduce the impact and stress on your lower legs
If you run or jog regularly on concrete ground, consider running on softer surfaces, which will lower the stress placed on your legs.
Increase your workout intensity progressively
When you want to increase the intensity or duration of your workout, it should be done in a progressive manner so that your body has time to get used to the increased amount of stress placed on the muscles, bones and tendons.
Conduct proper warmups and stretch before exercising
Warming up and stretching your muscles can help to prevent injuries.
Wearing proper footwear that fits well
If you run regularly, having the appropriate footwear is vital to avoiding injuries such as shin splints. A good pair of running shoes can help to soften the impact of running on your legs and feet. Ensuring that the pair of shoes fits your feet well will also help to prevent unwanted injuries.
Arch supports (orthotics)
Arch supports can be especially useful if you have flat arches.
Strengthening your muscles
Strengthening the muscles in your lower legs can condition them and improve muscle endurance. An example of a strengthening exercise would be toe raises, which target your calves.
Treatment and Rehabilitation Methods for Shin Splints
Shin splints can usually be treated easily. For severe cases of shin splints, medication and physiotherapy may be required.
Rest
Rest is the first step to treating injuries such as shin splints. Continuing to strain the injured leg can aggravate the injury and will worsen pain symptoms as well as increase the necessary recovery period. By taking a break from physical activity, you allow your muscles and bones time to recover.
Ice
Using a cold compress on your injured leg can help to control and alleviate symptoms such as swelling and pain.
Pain-relieving medicine
If the pain from your shin splint is causing you great distress or discomfort, over-the-counter pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help to reduce pain and swelling.
Physiotherapy
For patients with shin splints that do not heal fully on their own, or experience severe pain symptoms that affect their daily lives, physiotherapy can be an option for treatment and rehabilitation. Physiotherapy focuses on restoring your quality of life by restoring your range of motion and muscle function and preventing future injuries.
Your physiotherapist will examine and assess your strength, mobility, flexibility, and pain response in order to design a rehabilitation plan for your condition. While ensuring that your injured leg gets sufficient rest to recover, your physiotherapist may also prescribe strengthening and stretching exercises for weak muscles associated with the movement of the legs such as your calves to reduce the stress placed on your shins.
You will first conduct these exercises under the supervision of your physiotherapist, who will ensure that you carry out these exercises safely without the risk of aggravating your injury. Once you master the exercises, you will be able to carry them out at home on a regular basis as you work towards full recovery. Along the way, your physiotherapist may prescribe more advanced exercises if your condition is improving.
In addition, your physiotherapist may suggest treatment methods such as dry needling, deep tissue massages or sports massages that can be used in conjuncture with your physiotherapy sessions for optimal results.
Deep Tissue Massage
A deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of your muscle to relieve and treat muscle and tendon pain, stiffness, and injuries. This can help to release muscle knots formed around your shin, relieving pain, and releasing tension and stiffness. In addition, a deep tissue massage promotes blood circulation, which will help hasten your recovery process.
Sports Massage
A shin splint is a common sports injury. A sports massage, while similar to other forms of massage therapies, focuses more on stretches and exercises. The massage focuses on the muscle groups associated with your injury. This helps to improve muscle flexibility, which will improve your performance and prevent future injuries.
Manage Shin Splints with Regis Wellness
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