Weekend Warrior

This is going to be a different blog than what most of you readers are used to from RedWhite&BlueSports.  This is a weekly segment called "Weekend Warrior" in which we'll talk about different sports aliments, how to prevent them, and how to treat them.  We decided to start this because Pat and myself are currently pursuing careers in the sports medicine field and feel that out expertise can help people out in something other than just sports talk.

Now, the first Weekend Warrior topic is a painful overuse injury known as shin splints.  Many athletes get shin splints at many different ages and a variety of different sports.  Shin splints is usually caused by excessive running, jumping, or sprinting and may take a very long time to heal.  Shin splints are commonly seen in sports that require a lot of running, such as cross country or basketball, but is not limited to these sports.  Furthermore, there are four different conditions that can make up shin splints and these can lead to more severe problems.  First is Chronic Compartment Syndrome which is swelling within the muscles of the leg limiting blood flow.  Next is just simply overused muscles which means that there is a constant soreness feeling in the shin area which could eventually lead to a stress fracture and could need an MRI to diagnosis it.  Flat feet, or the medical term "Pes Planus", is the most common cause of medial shin splints.  Flat feet cause the muscles to be overstretched, weakened, inflamed, and cause extreme pain in the athlete.  Finally, the last condition that can cause shin splints is tight calves.  When the calve becomes tight it can stretch out the muscles and tendons in the shin area causing pain in that area.

Most treatment for shin splints is simply RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).  But there are other techniques that can help the healing process as well.  Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as prescription strength Ibuprofen, can be used to limit swelling and pain.  Next, simply just taping the lower leg, specifically the shin, can help stabilize the leg and help support the muscles and tendons.  Obviously, stretching is the next treatment available for shin splints, although it is a very conservative treatment, it can certainly help relieve pain and increase flexibility.  Specifically stretching of the calf and the plantar flexor muscles of the foot (a flexion in which the toes point downward).

In conclusion, if the athlete has supportive shoes and atleast one recovery day he or she should be able to avoid the painful, overuse injury known to many runners and jumpers as shin splints.