Is your runner’s high being stifled by pain in your shins or legs? Do they tend to throb after your daily jogs, or ache simply after moving quickly to catch up with someone? If so, you may be experiencing shin splints.
N E W S L E T T E R
IS THERE A SPLINT
IN YOUR STEP?
ALSO INSIDE How Physical Therapy Can Help • Tips To Improve Your Running Mechanics • Stay Motivated To Eat Healthy
N E W S L E T T E R
Is your runner’s high being stifled by pain in your shins or legs? Do they tend to throb after your daily jogs, or ache simply after moving quickly to catch up with someone? If so, you may be experiencing shin splints. Shin splints, also medically referred to as “medial tibial stress syndrome,” occurs when there is excessive stress on your shinbone and its surrounding tissues. These tissues connect your muscles to your bones, and when they become inflamed, it can become painful. They are most common in runners, due to the stress of impact that the shins face while running; however, shin splints can present themselves in anyone whose lifestyle includes substantial physical demand. Shin splints can be painful and debilitating toward your daily life, but physical therapy can fortunately help alleviate the pain and correct the condition. To speak with someone about how physical therapy can help fix your shin splints, call our office today! CAUSES OF SHIN SPLINTS: There are many common causes of shin splints, including, but not limited to: • Previous injury. If you have had a foot, leg, or shin injury in the past, your risk of shin splints may be heightened. OUCH! IS THERE A SPLINT IN YOUR STEP?
• Sport participation. Some sports have a higher risk of shin splints than others, especially those with high levels of running and/or jumping. • Body mass. If you have a BMI greater than 20.2, your probability toward developing shin splints may be higher. • Overpronation. This is also referred to as the act of flattening the arches of one’s feet while standing, walking, or running. A flat arch creates a greater risk of shin splints. • Hip motion. This can be related to sport or general gait, in which the hips move through a greater range than what is typical. This is common in sports such as dance, gymnastics, or cheerleading, but can also be due to an abnormality in the way one walks. • Improper shoes. Wearing shoes that are ill-fitted or that don’t provide proper arch support can increase your risk of shin splints. • Lack of stretching. If you complete a run or workout without warm-up and cool-down stretches, your muscles and tissues can become irritated, increasing your risk of shin splints. • General weakness. If you have weak ankles, hips, or core muscles, you may be at a greater risk of developing shin splints. This can be corrected through strength training exercises.
A R E Y O U L E T T I N G Y O U R PA I N H O L D Y O U B A C K ? C A L L T O S C H E D U L E Y O U R A P P O I N T M E N T T O D A Y !
HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN HELP As noted above, the causes of shin splints are vast, but your physical therapist can help you figure out the root of the problem. He or she will complete an extensive evaluation process with you, noting your painful areas and testing the abilities of your current physical motions. This may include anything involving stretching, flexibility, gait, mobility, and range of motion. From there, your physical therapist will create a treatment plan based on your needs.
• Taping/compression. Your physical therapist may suggest taping the affected area (arch of foot or leg muscles) to promote healing and compress the affected muscles. • Ice. Ice healing may be prescribed, in order to decrease pain and inflammation. Depending on the severity, your physical therapist may suggest icing multiple times a day. • Footwear suggestions. Your physical therapist may provide you with supportive or orthotic footwear suggestions, which may help speed up your shin splint recovery and decrease the risk of them in the future. • Rest. An important part of your physical therapy treatment will be rest, although you will also be participating in important stretching and light exercises with your physical therapist. Your physical therapist may suggest taking a short break from the activity or exercise that aggravated your shin splints until you are healed. At The Fitness LAB, we are dedicated to assisting you in your healing journey, and making it as comfortable for you as possible. If you believe you may be suffering from shin splints, give us a call today. We will help you get back on your feet in no time!
TREATMENT PLANS FOR A SPECIFIED SHIN SPLINT CONDITION MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: • Manual therapy. Hands-on massage of the painful area and its surrounding areas, in order to ease stress off of the injured tissue. • Light exercise. These exercises can serve several functions. They can be used to increase the strength and/or range of motion of the hips, arches, or shins, in order to decrease overpronation and stress on the lower leg. They can also be used to stretch the muscles around the shin, in order to reduce inflammation. This may also include single-leg exercises, such as squats, reaching, or heel raises. • Modified technique. Sometimes, shin splints can be a result of poor technique with gait or sports. Your physical therapist may work with you to modify your take-off/landing techniques, or your leg and foot control while walking or running.
GIVE US A SHOUTOUT! We want to hear your success story! Use the links below to tell your PT story and leave your review. We look forward to hearing from you!
HIGHLANDS RANCH
GREENWOOD VILLAGE
GET CONNECTED!
FOLLOW US!
REVIEW US!
REVIEW US!
E AT WE L L !
S T A Y M O T I V A T E D T O E A T H E A L T H Y
TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING MECHANICS
We know that the pandemic has ruined a lot, but it doesn’t have to ruin your eating habits as well! Use these simple tips to maintain your waistline. 1. Set small, measurable goals that will help you get to your overall large goal. 2. Keep a food and exercise journal. This is extremely helpful to track howmuch you’re eating – sometimes you don’t realize how many small bites here and there add up. You can do a hand-written journal or go digital and log your food/fitness from the computer or your smartphone. 3. Keep processed junk food out of your diet by adding in nutritious whole foods. 4. Skip the pantry and head to the fridge. No one really keeps a lot of processed foods in their fridge because they’re usually self-stable. When looking for an afternoon snack, stick with something from the fridge (non-fat greek yogurt, fruit, veggies with hummus, edamame, etc.) 5. Try new foods. Eating the same meal every night can get old. Look for new healthy recipes online, in cookbooks or magazines so you don’t get bored with eating healthy. 6. Eat something every 2-3 hours. This keeps your metabolism running and also makes sure you don’t overeat after work. 7. Keep nutritious foods on hand and ready to eat. Preparation is the key to eating healthy! Having fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, healthy fats and smart carbs each week is super helpful for staying on track.
3. Heel Strike. Do you heel strike while running? Approximately 80% of runners strike the ground with their heels first, while 15% strike the ground with their toes first. The remaining 5% run on the balls of their feet. In this case, the majority has it right - heel striking uses less energy than a forefoot striking or midfoot striking, which can prevent fatigue and unnecessary overexertion injuries. If you have been noticing exhaustion while running, try to ease yourself into heel striking by starting your run on the heels of your feet, rather than your toes. It may help boost your energy and help you perform better! 4. Vertical Displacement. It is no secret that technique plays a large role in running performance. Vertical displacement refers to how much your center of mass moves up and down while you run. When your vertical displacement is insufficient, it can lead to a premature touchdown of your swing leg or a low center of mass trajectory. However, excessive vertical displacement can also cause runners to expend more energy than necessary. Both of these scenarios can be corrected by changing your stride, which can be accomplished with
Are you a runner? If so, you understand the importance of maintaining proper form and technique while you’re out on a trail, training for a marathon, or simply jogging through the neighborhood. At The Fitness LAB, we want to make sure that you are performing at your optimum levels of function, so you can avoid injury and get the most out of your sport! Below are 5 tips to keep in mind when trying to improve your running mechanics: 1. Cadence. A recent study published in the National Institutes of Health analyzed the effects of cadence on a runner’s likelihood of sustaining an injury. 45 healthy runners were studied to determine how differences in cadence affected loading on the hip and knee joints. Results concluded that a quicker cadence “generally leads a runner to hit midfoot compared to runners with longer strides,” which can cause pain or injury. To improve your cadence, try making your strides longer! This will reduce loading on the hips and knees, preventing injury. 2. Base of Support. In another study published in the National Institutes of Health, several running mechanics were analyzed through video assessments, including base of support. This is an important mechanic to evaluate, as foot placement is one of the most integral parts of running. It was noted that, as a general rule, “the left and right feet should not overlap in their ground contact location.” There should always be space between foot placement, as a narrow base of support has been known to cause painful conditions, such as tibial stress fractures and iliotibial band syndrome.
the help of a physical therapist. CONTACT US TODAY!
Are you ready to run at your peak level of performance? Contact The Fitness LAB today! We can assess all the running mechanics listed above at once and figure out how your running efficiency can be increased to improve performance and reduce your risk of injury. Give The Fitness LAB a call today for more information!
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook HTML5