Shin Splints: How a Chiropractor Can Help
By Sara Butler
You don’t have to be an avid runner to suffer from shin splints. In fact, you can suffer this painful condition simply chasing around a toddler or shopping with gusto! Yes, shin splints can really impact anyone, which is why -- if you feel that telltale burning, tightening or pain on the front of your lower leg -- you need to see the chiropractor. Here’s what you should know about shin splints, and how your chiropractor can help.
What Are Shin Splints?
Your shin is actually a part of the tibia bone in your lower leg. This bone absorbs a lot of shocks as you move through your daily activities. The muscles that run along the shin work to support the arch of your foot and raise your toes as you move.
Normally, athletes experience shin splints when they’ve intensified their training routine or changed it in some way, but as you know by now, regular people can get shin splints too – especially if they’ve recently changed their level of activity.
Shin splints are more likely to occur if:
- You don’t stretch before exercise
- You walk or run on hard surfaces
- You wear the wrong shoes for an activity
- You over-exert your body with activity
- Don’t give your body time to recover between exercises
Any type of exercise can pave the way for shin splints.
The Symptoms
Shin splints are easy to spot. To know if you suffer from them be on the lookout for:
- Pain in the front of the lower leg
- Soreness in the lower leg
- Shin is hot to the touch
- Swelling in the lower leg
- Pain during exercise
You can ice your shins if you experience these symptoms, but ultimately you will benefit from seeking chiropractic treatment for this condition.
How a Chiropractor Can Help
Chiropractors can help your shin splints in a few ways. They can help to relieve pain by making sure your body is free from joint dysfunction and restriction. This allows your body to work as it should, healing itself.
Plus, chiropractic care is natural and drug-free. Your chiropractor wants to find the root cause of your pain. Perhaps your shin splints are related to your foot or another part of your body. Chiropractors can track down the cause and work with you to fix it, making shin splints an unpleasant but distant memory!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.