Physical Therapy in Greenlawn
If you’ve ever experienced a throbbing, aching pain in your shins, you may be familiar with shin splints. But what exactly are shin splints? And more importantly, how can you treat and prevent them from happening? At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we provide Physical Therapy in Greenlawn to help patients treat the problem, eliminate pain, and provide patient education to help prevent further injury.
What Are Shin Splints?
Tenderness, soreness, and pain along the inside of the shinbone are common symptoms of shin splints. Shin Splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, refers to pain caused by stress on the shinbone and the connective tissues, which causes inflammation. Several risk factors that contribute to the cause of shin splints including:
- Wearing improper footwear that lacks support
- Putting repetitive stress on the shin bones
- Training on uneven or hard surfaces
- Exercising without properly warming up beforehand or cooling down afterward
- Having flat feet or high arches
Knowing what possible causes of shin splints are can help you to better prevent them from occurring. Other ways that you can prevent shin splints are by:
- Implementing strength training into your workouts to help strengthen and stabilize your lower body.
- Avoid over-exerting yourself during high-intensity workouts.
- Analyzing your movements during runs and workouts to avoid movement patterns that contribute to shin splints.
- Consider implementing a low-impact workout into your routine that puts less stress on your shins, such as swimming, walking, or biking.
How To Treat Shin Splints with Physical Therapy in Greenlawn
When it comes to shin splints, the best treatment is rest! Getting off your feet and relaxing your muscles will help the pain disperse faster and help the body heal sooner. Other ways important ways to treat shin sprains include:
- Icing your shins: Applying ice to your shins can help to ease both the pain and swelling. It is recommended that you apply ice to the area for 20-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours. Icing the area can be done daily until the pain has subsided.
- Using insoles for your shoes: Shoe inserts are beneficial to help support your foot’s natural arch. Orthotics or insoles can help to make walking around more comfortable and can also help prevent shin splints if they are being caused by flat feet.
- Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers: Anti-inflammatory painkillers help by reducing the swelling and masking the pain caused by shin splints.
- Physical Therapy: Physical Therapy in Greenlawn can help treat your shin splints by performing exercises that will gently stretch and strengthen the muscles around your shin. Massage therapy can also be used to manually loosen the tight muscles.
Schedule An Appointment With Us Today: Physical Therapy in Greenlawn! 
The more time you spend doing things on your feet, the more likely you are to develop shin splints at one point or another. This is especially true if you participate in a sport such as running or dance, which requires you to put a lot of stress on your legs. If you are experiencing shin splints, Physical Therapy in Greenlawn can help! To get started, contact Island Sports Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment!
