Shin Splints Facts and Helpful Information
For those that have experienced shin splints, they are aware of how painful the condition can be. There are two types of shin splints, Anterior and Posterior. If you believe you have shin splints, see an expert today so that he or she can deal with your condition.
With shin splints, the patient complains of pain in the front or back of the lower leg that is insidious in onset. Shin Splints are poorly defined. There are many conditions (tendonitis, periostitis, muscle strain and Interosseous membrane strain) that have been implicated as the cause of shin splints.
There are basically two types of shin splints:
1. Anterior shin splints – involves muscles in the front of the leg that are used for shock absorption. When they are weak or placed under increased demand as in walking or running on hard surfaces or when the shoe has no shock absorbing qualities, the force is transmitted to the shin bone resulting in a shin splint.
2. Posterior shin splints – involves muscles in the back of the leg. These muscles act as ankle stabilizers and appear to be overstrained when the patient over pronates.
With shin splints, the pain is often at the middle to lower third of the shin bone. An important differential for shin splints is a stress fracture. However, with shin splints x-rays are usually normal.
Your Chiropractor will perform a thorough history and examination including orthopaedic, neurological testing and diagnostic radiography to determine the extent of you shin splints. Then they will develop a specific plan of management tailored to your case.
