Shin Splints

Shin splints is a type of shin pain, usually caused by a new regimen/exercise. Shin splints refer to pain and tenderness along or just behind the large bone in the lower leg (the tibia).

Symptoms

  • Pain felt on the front and outside of the shin. It’s first felt when the heel touches the ground during running. In time, pain becomes constant and the shin is painful to the touch.

Causes

Shin splints happen when you’ve put too much stress on your leg.

You’re more likely to get shin splints if:

  • you have started exercising after not being active for some time
  • you run or jump on hard surfaces
  • you do not have a good running technique
  • Repetitive hard exercise, sports, or activity can lead to inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and thin layer of tissue covering the shin bones, causing pain.

Anatomy

Muscles of the anterior lower leg

The anterior part of the lower leg (shin) comprises the following muscles:

The Tibialis anterior

The Extensor Digitorum longus

The Extensor Hallucis longus

The Fibularis Tertius 

These muscles dorsiflex (extend) the foot and toes upward. The controls turning the foot inward.

At the lateral side of the lower leg, are the muscles:

The Fibularis Longus

The Fibularis Brevis

These muscles are used to pull the foot outward (pointing the foot).

Muscle of the posterior lower leg

The gastrocnemius

The soleus

The gastrocnemius muscle begins on the femur above the knee, whereas the soleus muscle inserts below the knee at the tibia. These muscles merge as they descend towards the ankle to form the Achilles tendon, which raps around the calcaneus or heel bone.

The calf muscles flex the ankle and lift the heel when raising the body on the ball of the feet.

In the deep posterior compartment of the lower leg are the following muscles:

The tibialis posterior

The flexor digitorum longus

The flexor hallucis longus

The tibialis muscle pulls the foot inward and the flexor muscles flex the toes and hallux, respectively. Together they also control the flexion of the foot plantar.

Diagnosis

What’s stopping me???

Notice

Which movements are increasing the discomfort? Visit a specialist and explain your body’s response to the actions. Information shared in this website is only for educational purpose.

Tissue and membrane

  • Periostitis is a condition that results in inflammation of the band of tissue that surrounds your bones.
  • MTTP Medial Tibial Traction Periostitis is a common injury that occurs when traction forces on the periosteum from the muscles of the lower leg cause shin pain and inflammation.
  • Up to 60 percent of all conditions that cause leg pain in athletes have been attributed to MTTP
  • At the anterior lateral side, traction due to anterior tibialis on the tibia and  interosseous membrane.
  • In the posterior medial case, there is traction between the tibialis posterior and the soleus.

Muscles

  • The structures that were thus observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia were the soleus, the flexor digitorum longus, and the deep crural fascia. The soleus and flexor digitorum longus muscles were observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia. The tibialis posterior muscle had no attachment to this site. Conclusion. The findings of this study [5] suggest that if traction is the cause of MTSS (posteromedial border of tibia) then soleus and the flexor digitorum muscles and not the tibialis posterior muscle are the likely cause of MTSS.

Joints and Body Structure

  • Tenderness along the posterior inner tibia
  • Made worse with plantar flexion

Posture

  • Overpronation
  • Increased Internal medial rotation

Yogic Managment

Human being is not just the combination of body and mind but something beyond this restricted limitations. We address the health of a being in all the planes of existence. Instead of addressing the symptoms of a condition, a 
holistic approach given in our ancient culture in literatures of Ayurveda, Yoga works on the root cause and builds a strong foundation.

 

 

Sharira

Annamaya Kosha Physical Plane

Contra indications

Before attempting to work on the area or movement, understand its health. Some of us have specific health scenarios or conditions, that are strong reasons not to attempt the practice.

Take support and train yourself slowly and consistently

Take the support of chair or wall before attempting to perform a new movement. Donot be overwhelemd by people displaying strong and flexible movements. Donot compare yourself with others. Each one of has different body capacity and flexibility, each one trains different, takes nutrition different, then how can you expect the output to be the same.

Rest

Body has the innate ability to heal itself if given rest. Observe your body posture through out the day and correct if required. Relax your body and mind.

Hydro therapy

Cold water best works for inflammations. Hot water helps for pain relief.

Notice

Which movements are increasing the discomfort? Visit a specialist and explain your body’s response to the actions. Information shared in this website is only for educational purpose.

What can help?

  •  

  • Exercises to gently stretch the muscles around the shin

  • Taping the arch of the foot or the affected leg muscles

  • Hands-on massage of the injured tissue

  • Exercises that increase the strength of hip rotation, hip abduction (lifting the leg away from the other leg), and hip extension (lifting the leg behind your body) to decrease stress to the lower leg

  • Exercises that increase your arch and shin muscle strength to decrease the overpronation (flattening out) of the arch of the foot

  • Calf and foot muscle stretches

  • Single-leg exercises including squats, reaching exercises, or heel raises

  • Modified take-off and landing techniques for jumping athletes

  • Modified leg and foot control during walking and running

  • Suggestions for footwear that provides better support when walking or exercising

  • Vajrasana
  • Malasana

Ahara Vihara

Physical Plane

Pathya 

Apathya

Notice

According to ayurveda each individual is a combiination of Vata, Pita, Kapha body type. Visit a Ayurveda doctor to get more information on which food suits you better. The above information shared is a generalized.

Bibliography

  1. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shin-splints/
  2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/shin-splints
  3. https://www.prodynamicpt.com/blog/2019/6/21/shin-splints-medial-tibial-stress-syndrome
  4. https://anatomy.lexmedicus.com.au/collection/knee
  5. Brown AA. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: Muscles Located at the Site of Pain. Scientifica (Cairo). 2016;2016:7097489. doi: 10.1155/2016/7097489. Epub 2016 Mar 15. PMID: 27066291; PMCID: PMC4811262.
  6. https://www.orthobullets.com/Site/Podcasts/ViewPodcast?podcastId=1982