Shin Splints
Are you experiencing pain in your legs and shins? It is painful to walk or run, leaving you in discomfort? You may be experiencing shin splints. Shin splints can be very painful and oftentimes develop in runners, dancers, and military members because of the increased amount of time on their feet and the amount of high impact stress that is put on their shins. When looking for treatment options, physical therapy is a great option. Island Sports Physical Therapy in East Meadow is more than capable of treating your shin splints with the right plan you need for a healthy recovery.
Causes of shin splints
- Repetitive stress on the shin bone
- Improper fitting shoes, or shoes that don’t provide good support
- Flat feet
- Working out without warming up beforehand or cooling down afterward
- Weak ankles, core muscles, or hips
- Training on uneven surfaces
Prevention
- Avoid overworking– try not to overwork or overuse your legs. Running too much or training too hard for too long can put increased stress and pressure on your shins.
- Work to strengthen your legs and shins- by strengthening your shins, this will help prevent shin splints from occurring. It can help your shins and legs be more equipped to deal with high impact workouts. At Island Sports Physical Therapy we offer physical therapy in East Meadow that will help strengthen your legs and shins to prevent shin splints from occurring.
- Pick the right shoes- choosing shoes that offer good support and cushioning can help provide support which will help in the prevention of shin splints developing. Also, be sure to choose shoes that fit properly and you feel comfortable in.
Treatment
- Rest- if you have developed shin splints, making sure to rest is important. Giving your legs and shins time to recover will help your pain disperse faster and the injury to go away sooner.
- Apply Ice- by doing this you will be able to limit the amount of swelling that occurs. Icing your shins can also act as a pain reliever.
- Orthotics/Insoles- choosing orthotics or insoles for your shoes can help make walking around more comfortable when you have shin splints. It can also help correct the cause of the shin splints if it is being caused by flat feet.
- Physical therapy- while working with a physical therapist you will be able to perform exercises that will gently stretch the muscles around the shin, as well as working to strengthen the weaker muscles around that area. Additionally, our physical therapists can use massage techniques to ease the pain and loosen up the tight area you may be experiencing from your shin splints.
Shin splints can be tough to deal with and tough to know how to prevent it from happening since it can develop almost out of nowhere. If you are looking for physical therapy in East Meadow to help treat your shin splints, our team at Island Sports Physical Therapy can help. Contact us today to start the road to comfort and relief.