Shin splints is a general term for pain in the front of the tibia or shin. The pain could be related to muscle, tendon, periosteium, or bone. It supports most of the body weight with every step, and its supporting muscles absorb the remaining forces.
It is common in runners who are running longer than they ever have before or increasing their hill running. It is common with impact sports with quick changes in direction, such as tennis or basketball.
Many people are interested in knowing how to get rid of shin splints, and this is nothing but normal. Shin splints, also known as the Tibial stress syndrome, very rarely presents as a medical condition in itself.
Shin Splint Risk Factors
In addition to over training, several risk factors include:
1. Running with worn out shoes
2. Jumping activities
3. Overpronation – or excessive collapse of the foot arch during walking or running
The excessive movement causes increased stress on the muscles and tendons of the lower leg, eventually causing an overuse injury of the lower leg muscles resulting in shin splints.
Massage therapy works to reduce the pain and muscle spasms in the lower legs. Shin splints might be very painful in one or two locations, but usually the entire leg is affected. At the time of first massage, people comment how tender they are all over. They only expected to feel pain right around the injury site, but realize there are many painful spots in all the leg muscles. If treatment only addressed the most painful spots, there would be a high likelihood of the pain returning.
Massage is going to address all of the muscles of the lower legs. After several sessions you will notice a big difference in how loose the legs feel. The pain will disappear and you will notice how different healthy leg muscles feel during the massage compared to the injured area.
People recover faster and are less likely to have an injury aggravation if all the muscles are treated.