"Shin Splints" A Myth debunked!

All too often, people who start to feel pain at the front of their shin, and pretty soon will self-diagnose; shin splints. As you may have already worked out, I am writing this blog because that statement is wrong! Shin splints is an umbrella term for "pain at the anterior aspect of the tibia".

Because shin splints is no more a diagnosis than telling someone you have knee pain, always try to tell my patients that it is not shin splints.

However,

Shin splints do exist! But it is extremely rare. to give it its correct term: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). I avoid using this term so not to confuse their shin pain with this condition. this involves stress fractures to the tibial or peeling back of the outer bone layer (peroneum) where your calves attach, leading to calf pain!

So, let's "peel back the skin" and look at what is underneath the surface at what is more likely to be giving us shin pain:

1. Here we can see, lying directly next to the tibia (shin bone) is the muscle: tibialis anterior. The primary job of the tibialis anterior is to dorsfilex and invert the foot (lift your ankle upwards and turn your ankle inwards). 2. Lying next to the tendon of tib ant, are the tendons of extensor hallucis longus (lifts your big toe upwards) and extensor digitorum longus (lifts your toes upwards). These 3 muscles combined are the primary dorsiflexors. These three muscles are the more likely reason for your shin pain. You are far more likely to get a muscle strain or over-activity than tibial stress syndrome. 3. It is also noteworthy that the gastrocnemius is visible from the shin. This is part of your calf muscle! Therefore, telling someone you have shin pain, and not being specific about where exactly you are getting the pain, could actually be tight calves! 4. The final major muscle that is visible from the shin is the peroneals. The only role of the peroneals is to evert your foot (turn your foot outwards). Diagnosing these muscle strains or over-activity is simple. Their respective treatments are simple and relatively expedient. Shin pain does not necessarily mean shin splints. Shin splints do exist, but extremely rare, it is more likely to be muscle imbalance. These muscle imbalances can be resolved easily with corrective physiotherapy. Don't self-diagnose, get your local, friendly experienced physiotherapist to diagnose and treat you correctly and appropriately.