Do High Heels Cause Hammertoes?
High heels may complete your look, but they could be harming your feet. Learn the connection between your favorite shoes and painful hammertoes, and find out how we can help you find relief.
How to Prevent and Treat Shin Splints
The medical name for shin splints is medial tibial stress syndrome. This repetitive stress disorder causes inflammation in muscles, tendons, and connective tissue along the front of your lower leg. In rare cases, shin splints may be related to anatomical structure, but usually, this injury has preventable causes.
Shin splints often develop when you increase the intensity of activity or training. It’s especially common among athletes who run, play soccer and basketball, and participate in dance and gymnastics.
Albert Nejat, DPM, FACFAS, is a board-certified podiatrist who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and helping patients prevent shin splints.
Located in the Culver City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, here’s what Dr. Nejat wants you to know about this common, yet often quite painful, sports injury.
How do shin splints start?
Your shin splints may start from an anatomical condition, such as genetically flat feet or conditions that cause the collapse of arches in your feet. However, it’s more common that shin splints start due to an activity in which you participate, particularly a change in the frequency or intensity of your participation.
This can include sports that involve heavy use of the lower legs. Military recruits often develop shin splints during basic training. Runners, dancers, tennis players, and basketball players are just a few of the athletes who are prone to developing shin splint issues.
When other conditions are present, you might increase your risk of straining the connective tissues in your lower legs. These can include:
- Footwear that’s the wrong design for your activity
- Worn-out shoes
- Shoes that are the wrong size
- Skipping warm-ups and cool-downs before and after your activity
- Poor ankle, hip, and core muscle conditioning
Any movement or activity that strains the muscles and connective tissues supporting the shin could cause shin splints. However, it may be possible to prevent the problem with some planning.
Preventing shin splints
Consider these tips to reduce the risk of developing shin splints:
Structure your exercise routines
Warming up prepares connective tissue by increasing blood flow and flexibility. This reduces the risk of trauma and inflammation. Cooling down eases you back into the activity, returning tissue to a reduced state of stress under controlled conditions. Our team can help you identify and perform stretches that help you avoid shin splints.
Build intensity over time
No one goes from the sidelines to the significant leagues overnight. While jumping headfirst into a new activity may be tempting, build your intensity up toward full participation. This might take weeks or months. Discuss with our team how to approach a new sport or level of performance.
Build overall leg strength
Your calves and shins work together, so boosting calf strength helps to protect your shins by sharing loads. Strong calves cushion landings, a crucial component in sports that involve jumps. We can advise you on the best full-leg exercises to incorporate into your routine.
Treating shin splints
Shin splints are an ideal candidate for the RICE protocol. At the first sign of shin pain, use these four steps to treat yourself at home:
- Rest: stop the activity and minimize time on your feet
- Ice: use cold compresses on the problem areas to reduce pain and swelling
- Compress: elastic bandages and compression stockings control inflammation
- Elevate: put your feet up, preferably above heart level, to aid recovery
Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications reduce pain and swelling when taken as directed.
When you need help with shin splint recovery, contact the Podiatry Institute of Southern California or request an appointment through our online portal today.
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