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How to prevent shin splints when playing basketball
Shin splints - self-care: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Shin splints occur when you have pain in the front of your lower leg. The pain of shin splints is from the inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your shin. Shin splints are a common problem for runners, gymnasts, dancers, and military recruits. However, there are things you can do to heal from shin splints and prevent them from getting worse.
Shin splints are an overuse problem. You get shin splints from overloading your leg muscles, tendons or shin bone.
Shin splints happen from overuse with too much activity or an increase in training. Most often, the activity is high impact and repetitive exercise of your lower legs. This is why runners, dancers, and gymnasts often get shin splints. Common activities that cause shin splints are:
Running, especially on hills. If you are a new runner, you are at greater risk for shin splints.
Increasing your days of training.
Increasing the intensity of training, or going a longer distance.
Doing exercise that has frequent stops and starts, such as dancing, basketball, or military training.
You are more at risk for shin splints if you:
Have flat feet or a very rigid foot arches.
Work out on hard surfaces, such as running on the street or playing basketball or tennis on a hard court.
Do not wear the proper shoes.
Wear worn out shoes. Running shoes lose over half of their shock absorbing ability after 250 miles (400 kilometers) of use.
Symptoms include:
Pain in one or both legs
Sharp or dull, aching pain in the front of your shin
Pain when you push on your shins
Pain that gets worse during and after exercise
Pain that gets better with rest
If you have severe shin splints, your legs may hurt even when you are not walking.
Expect that you need at least 2 to 4 weeks of rest from your sport or exercise.
Avoid repetitive exercise of your lower leg for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep your activity to just the walking that you do during your regular day.
Try other low impact activities as long as you do not have pain, such as swimming, elliptical machine, or biking.
After 2 to 4 weeks, if the pain is gone, you can start your usual activities. Increase your activity level slowly. If the pain returns, stop exercising right away.
Know that shin splints can take 3 to 6 months to heal. Do not rush back into your sport or exercise. You could injure yourself again.
Things you can do to ease discomfort include:
Ice your shins. Ice several times a day for 3 days or until pain is gone.
Do stretching exercises, especially over the front part of the shin.
Take ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin to decrease swelling and to help with pain. Know these medicines have side effects and can cause ulcers and bleeding. Talk to your doctor about how much you can take.
Use arch supports. Talk with your doctor and physical therapist about wearing the proper shoes, and about special shock-absorbing insoles or orthotics to wear inside your shoes.
Work with a physical therapist. They can use therapies that may help with the pain. They can teach you exercises to strengthen your leg muscles.
To prevent shin splints from recurring:
Be pain-free for at least 2 weeks before returning to your exercise routine.
Do not overdo your exercise routine. Do not return to your previous level of intensity. Go slower, for a shorter time. Increase your training slowly.
Warm up and stretch before and after exercise.
Ice your shins after exercise to decrease swelling.
Avoid hard surfaces.
Wear proper shoes with good support and padding.
Consider changing the surface that you train on.
Cross train and add in low impact exercise, such as swimming or biking.
Shin splints are most often not serious. Call your health care provider if:
You have pain after several weeks even with rest, icing, and pain relievers.
You are not sure whether your pain is caused by shin splints.
Swelling in your lower legs is getting worse.
Your shin is red and feels hot to the touch.
Your provider may take an x-ray or perform other tests to make sure you do not have a stress fracture. You will also be checked to make sure you do not have another shin problem, such as tendonitis or compartment syndrome.
Kubinski A, Amendola A. Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints). In: Miller MD, Hart JA, MacKnight JM, eds. Essential Orthopedics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 159.
Mugleston BJ, Krabak BJ. Caring for and counseling the youth runner. In: Harrast MA, ed. Clinical Care of the Runner. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 21.
Pallin DJ. Knee and lower leg. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 50.
Stretanski MF. Shin Splints. In: Frontera, WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 78.
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 09/29/2021.
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How to STOP Painful Shin Splints from Basketball Once and For All!
Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. I do NOT have a medical degree. I would URGE you consult a medical professional if you currently have shin splints. This article is only intended to give advice on how to prevent shin splints from occurring.
What if I am to tell you how to STOP shin splints – one of THE most painful injuries in sports stemming from overuse?
Would you listen?
I think so!
I have experience fighting shin splints. I can help you not repeat the same mistakes I made.
The first thing to remember is that shin splints are defined as micro tears in the shin muscles around the tibia bones that occur due to overuse.
It often happens when there is TOO MUCH stress on the tibia bone to keep the lower leg muscles, tendons, and bones aligned when running.
These tears HURT every time you run or even walk. They WILL cause a more severe injury if you try to push through the pain.
But on the basketball court, shin splints can really hurt YOUR game!
Here’s why.
Shin splints HURTS your overall basketball game!
With shin splints, it is MUCH harder to score AND to play defense!
The shin muscle is needed to support your ankle and knee muscles whenever you rapidly change direction in order to cut or dribble to the basket, come off screens, or play the defense needed to cut off your man’s dribbles or cuts to the basket.
If the shin muscles are literally tearing apart, then how can still you do all this as well as you usually do?
Like most overuse injuries, the key to healing shin splints is to let them heal. You have to rest and let your body naturally heal the micro tears.
That’s tough! It is better to never have them in the first place!
How do you prevent shin splints from happening?
Here are four tips to keep the shin muscles as healthy as possible.
Tip #1: Massage and Stretch the Tibialis Anterior Muscle
If stretching and massaging the other leg muscles are a must before training, then why not stretch the shin muscle as well?
Massaging then stretching the shin muscle will not only maintain the leg and foot’s natural gait while running – but WILL also put LESS pressure on the connecting ankle and knee muscles!
If you have a foam roller, I would highly recommend you do this.
If possible, I urge you do this BEFORE and AFTER you play basketball! The foam roller is crucial to not only preventing shin splints but also loosening up your other leg muscles.
If you do NOT have a foam roller, you can still do these three things:
Massage the shin muscle (which will loosen up the muscle prior to stretching it)
Hold your foot downward (so the shin muscle can be stretched)
Flex your foot back and forth (to stretch and strengthen the shin muscle)
ALWAYS do these three exercises as part of your warmup routine!
But there are also other leg muscles to train to support the shin muscle…
Tip #2: Strengthen the Calf Muscles
Calf muscles are not good just for your vertical in basketball!
Strong calf muscles can absorb a greater share of the impact your legs incur while running and jumping on the basketball court, which puts less pressure on the shin muscles to support the hamstrings and Achilles tendons.
In short, a strong and flexible calf muscle will act as a counterbalance to the shin muscle!
Here is a video showing six ways to strengthen your calf muscles – and none of them require weights or even stair steps!
Tip #3: SLOWLY Build up your Basketball Conditioning
Going from inactivity to full-speed training is ALWAYS going to put you at risk of injury.
Putting sudden pressure is going to put undue pressure on the ankle muscles and tendons, which will in turn force the shin muscles to have to overcompensate in order to stabilize the lower leg.
That will most likely result in shin splints!
The shin muscle was NOT meant to be the sole stabilizing force for both the knee and ankle muscles.
The muscles will gradually tear if they are overstressed! If possible, do NOT go from zero to full speed whenever you step on the basketball court!
You wouldn’t max out the squat rack or the bench press immediately after injury!
So why do the same to your shin muscles on the basketball court?
Instead, do this to build up your shin muscles – if you distance run as part of your training regimen:
For a week, run half as long as you normally do (if you normally run 4 miles, run 2 miles at the same pace)
Then go to 75% of normal (go 2 miles to 3 miles at the same pace)
After two weeks, go back to normal
And if possible, do this while running…
Tip #4: Run on Grass (if possible)
Sprinting on pavement, running track surfaces, or even on basketball courts WILL put a tremendous amount of pressure on the shin muscles.
Sprint on the grass instead! The grass surface will be MUCH more forgiving to your knees, ankles, and shins.
Conclusion
An ounce of prevention is worth two pounds of cure when it comes to shin splints.
These four tips WILL mitigate the risk of shin splints!
One more thing: just STOP when your body TELLS you it is time to stop.
How to avoid shin pain
There are several topics that are discussed with increased activity in various running forums: the best running shoes, the most accurate GPS watch and does kinesio tape really work? Professionals and amateurs alike can defend their point of view to the point of hoarseness and challenge the arguments of others. But discussing the reasons for leaving the race, everyone unanimously agrees that this is pain in the shin area.
Studies show that 60% of the causes of calf pain, as well as up to 15% of the causes of sports injuries, lie in the diagnosis of MTSS.
MTSS (medial tibial stress syndrome) - tension syndrome of the medial surface of the tibia, we often call it inflammation of the periosteum, is one of the common causes of pain in the lower extremities. More often, pain is diagnosed in the two lower thirds of the lower leg. It occurs in people during aerobics - 22%, while running - 17%, in tall adolescents - 13%. Also, this syndrome is typical for athletes, skiers, skaters, figure skaters, gymnasts, football players.
Pain occurs in sports (especially with inadequately heavy loads), when exercising indoors on a hard surface, when making sharp turns or changing the motion vector (pronation), when walking on an uneven surface, uphill/downhill. The pain increases with increasing load and decreases with rest, until it disappears completely, although in some cases pain may persist for a long time.
Outwardly, the pain may be accompanied by swelling of the legs and local redness. If exercise continues, improperly worn shoes - the condition can lead to a typical stress fracture - the accumulation of tiny cracks in the bones of the legs that appear from excessive repetitive stress - writes in his book Jordan Meurth, Australian sports doctor, author of "Running Strong" and published in Russia, the book "Reference book of a general practitioner. "
Dr. Jordan D. Metzl is a nationally recognized sports medicine physician practicing at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, the premier orthopedic hospital in the United States. More than 20,000 athletes and patients of all ages have passed through his hands and stood on their feet. Dr. Jordan Meurth teaches and lectures to students. In addition, he is a runner and triathlete, a bestselling author of medical and sports books, and a fitness instructor. Having gone through the most difficult injury himself and put himself on his feet, he devoted his life to teaching other runners the technique and strength exercises to prevent sports injuries.
Inflammation of the periosteum is a three-dimensional concept that includes pain sensations of various kinds and origins.
“Some people feel pain only in the muscles, others in the shin, some have pain in the knee,” explains Mike Young, athletics coach and founder of the Athletic Lab, PhD, educator, author of numerous publications, researcher in the fields of kinesiology, biomechanics and sports psychology.
Explaining this “oh” in simple words
Inflammation can start in both bone and muscle. The inflammatory process easily passes from one tissue to another.
In 90% of cases, pain occurs in the tibia. Legs start to ache after running, especially when overexerted, says Jordan Meurth, who himself has competed in 32 marathons and 12 triathlons. If not treated properly, a stress injury can turn into a stress fracture, causing even more pain and requiring an even longer recovery period.
In the remaining 10%, pain occurs in the calf muscles. In this case, the anterior muscles of the lower leg begin to swell, the pain increases with light pressure on the edge of the bone in a place where the muscle layer is small, a slight tuberosity is felt under the skin.
Not surprisingly, calf pain is more common in runners, especially long-distance runners. But in other athletes who experience a large shock load on the legs and feet due to hard surfaces, such as basketball players, pain associated with inflammation of the periosteum is also widespread.
Three factors underlie the inflammatory process, explains Dr. Mörth:
Firstly, a violation of the mechanics of movement: if you have a pronation of the foot (the toe is inward, the inner arch of the foot falls earlier than the outer one), then during long walks it is the tibia that gets very tired, which causes discomfort at first.
Secondly, an excessive increase in loads, for example, run too fast or too much.
And finally, bone density (at 30, a person has the highest density), the lower it is, and you are correspondingly older, the greater the risk of inflammation of the periosteum. Plus, excess body weight, which also should not be discounted.
A bit of prevention
Prevention is easier than cure! By the time an athlete gets to the doctor with his problem, it will already have had time to cause noticeable damage to his health, says Dr. Meurth. That is why it is so important for athletes to listen to their body and be able not only to recognize its signals, but also to know what to do in this or that case.
Remember the simple and effective rule: “Never increase your distance by more than 10% from the week before,” says Marnie Kunz, New York-based running coach. For example, if you run 10 km a week and want to increase the distance, then increase by no more than 1 km. Diversify the surface for running: asphalt, gravel, specially rubber coating, grass, earth - this will prevent the possibility of injury.
If pain occurs, which then increases, then disappears completely, and also to prevent a larger problem, it is important to strengthen the legs and feet with strength exercises. Exercises with a ball are suitable for the feet - rolling it under the foot, these exercises not only strengthen the arch of the foot, but also prevent the development of flat feet. You can diversify your activities by jumping into the sand, running barefoot, intensive lifting on your toes.
“Active calf raises are great for strengthening the calf muscles, too,” says Abigail Bale, who works as a personal running trainer for beginners and people trying to lose weight. She coaches groups in Brooklyn and remotely for clients around the world. “Stand on a flat surface. To maintain balance, you can stick your hand against the wall. Rise slowly up on your feet, distribute your body weight evenly between the first and second toes of your feet, slowly lower yourself down for five counts, try to lower the outer side of the heel last.
Work on strengthening your ankle several times a week. Abigail recommends the following exercise: step one foot forward and bend the knee as far as possible without lifting the heel of the other foot off the ground. If the knee at the same time goes beyond the line of the ankle - this is normal. Most importantly, do not transfer weight to it, because. this exercise is not a strength exercise, but to develop the flexibility of the joint and tendons, stretching the lower leg and popliteal ligaments of the leg, which is in an extended position at the back. Do 20 repetitions for each leg.
And don't neglect strength training, Murt advises. “The stronger your glutes, the better your running form – and the less likely you are to get periosteum inflammation.”
8 Ways to Ease or Eliminate Calf Pain
Let's say you ignored all of the above tips and obviously overdid it in your first marathon. Your shins are begging for help! Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to help yourself and ease the pain.
1. Stop - Take a break - Rest - Take a break.
Sometimes you just need to give your feet a few days of rest. “Body pain is a warning to stop,” Young says. At the very least, take a couple of days off from running until the pain subsides. Avoid at first training with sharp accelerations and jerks to the side. Replace running with cycling, try running in water, switch to strength training in the gym.
2. Check your shoes.
Inspect your athletic shoes to make sure they are in good condition and free of damage, wear, or deformation. “Supplementing your shoes with orthopedic insoles can bring significant relief,” says Mike Young. Studies have shown that shock-absorbing insoles are effective in preventing periosteum inflammation.
3. Analyze the position of the foot and your gait.
“The analysis will help you determine if there are abnormalities,” says Marnie Kunz. This can be done by a physiotherapist or a specialist in an orthopedic salon. The easiest thing is to take a picture of the legs from behind - if there is a problem, you will immediately notice it.
4. Use a massage roller.
Yes, this is a proven method of recovery after exertion - massage with such a roller enhances the outflow of lymph and blood and brings noticeable relief. Dr. Meurth recommends using a foam roll on the calves and around the affected area.
5. Use ice. Ice and leg elevation for at least 20 minutes twice a day to relieve pain and swelling, Kunz says.
6. Eat vitamins and minerals. “For strong bones, you need to include calcium and vitamin D in your daily diet,” Dr. Murt reminds once again.
7. Lose weight! This may be the most difficult but decisive step in getting rid of pain. By dropping a few pounds, you will reduce the force acting on the body during the run and remove unnecessary stress from the bones, muscles and tendons. In doing so, relative strength will increase and become your competitive advantage, Yang says.
8. Contact a professional. If the pain does not leave you, all of the listed experts recommend that you see a doctor for a detailed and professional diagnosis. Perhaps you have a more serious case.
P.S. At a lecture by Olga Ilyina, a sports doctor and physiotherapist of the Spartak women's basketball club, the founder of the SelfMamaRun club, which I visited as part of the Spring Thunder Marathon EXPO, I heard the easy-to-remember formula for relieving pain in the legs "KLOP":
- compression*
- ice
- outflow
- raise your legs
* Compression leotards, legs, stockings of the 2XU Recovery series are an effective way to avoid pain syndrome or significantly reduce it.
Now you know what to do with calf pain. Take care of yourself!
Adaptive translation
Original article: greatist.com/move/how-to-relieve-shin-splints
Periosteal problems video
Periosteal pain is a problem for beginners and overly ambitious athletes. Few people know, but the peaks of the query “periosteum hurts” in search engines occur in April-May and September-October. Just in time for the beginning of the running season and the period of major marathons. This is not a coincidence, in this pattern lies the main causes of pain in the periosteum. In the article, we briefly and clearly tell what the periosteum is, why it hurts and how to avoid it.
What is the periosteum
The periosteum is the connective tissue that surrounds the bones from the outside. It is present in all bones in the body, connects the bone to the muscles, participates in the blood supply and growth of the bone in thickness. The periosteum produces young bone tissue cells - osteoblasts, with the help of which bone regeneration takes place.
Periosteal inflammation or splint
Periosteal inflammation is a common problem among runners, especially beginners. Pain occurs in the anterior and inner surface of the tibia. Sometimes it is localized at one point, but more often it spreads throughout the lower leg.
Inflammation of the periosteum belongs to the group of Shin splints (shin splints - “split shin”) diseases. In addition to inflammation of the periosteum, the shin splint group includes other diseases of the shin area: inflammation of the muscles and ligaments, stress fracture. The main cause of diseases of the shin splint group is too much physical activity.
Photo: jspodiatry.com
Symptoms at an early stage:
The pain is insignificant, concentrated in the inner part of the lower leg, more often on the border of the lower leg and calf muscles
Pain at the beginning and end of exercise, felt when pressed
Symptoms in neglect:
Aching and burning sensation during walking and at rest
foot or thigh
The shin swells and turns red
The body temperature rises
Why does the periosteum hurt when running
Previously, micro-ruptures of soft tissues at the place of attachment to the periosteum were taken as the cause of the splint. Recent studies have shown that with such pain, the bones themselves are damaged, in the foci of pain, bone density becomes lower. After a course of treatment, pain disappears, bone density returns to normal.
In most cases, periosteal pain is due to overload. Simply put, if you run too much or too fast. In addition to this, there may be weak muscles, overweight, improper shoes, pronation disorders, running technique. The most common mistakes are "sticking" when landing and running on toes. Some specifically run on toes, because someone there advised.
Each time you land while running, the shin flexes slightly under load. With proper muscle work, most of the shock load is extinguished by muscle lengthening. Part of the impact falls on the ligaments and tendons. If you run too much, the muscles "clog", become less elastic. In this state, they cannot absorb the shock load, it is transferred to the ligaments and periosteum, which leads to microtrauma and inflammation.
When the load is dosed, the musculoskeletal system adapts: muscles, bones and periosteum become stronger and withstand heavy loads. If you raise the load abruptly, the body does not have time to adapt, the tissue becomes less dense - this leads to inflammation, cracks and fatigue fractures.
Causes of periosteal problems:
incorrect running technique (foot placement)
too high intensity or large volume of training
Clogging of the calf muscles, which stems from a previous cause
Poor warm-up and cool-down
Muscle imbalance and weak stabilizing muscles
Low-quality or worn-out running shoes
Cross-country running without prior preparation
9004 Gettyimages
Who is more likely to experience inflammation of the periosteum of the shin
Runners, football players, basketball players, dancers, military men are more likely to experience pain in the periosteum. Most often, less experienced athletes and beginners are susceptible to such an injury. In women, this injury occurs 2-3 times more often than in men.
In addition, at risk are people with:
weak muscles
overweight
foot disorders (overpronation, flat feet)
weak bones (what can be done6 periosteum
Stop exercising. In the early stages, the problem with the periosteum can be solved by a simple rest. Eliminate shock loading on the legs so that damaged tissues have time to recover. If it is not possible to completely stop exercising, train without shock load on the legs. Switch to a more gentle mode: replace running with swimming or cycling.
Consult a doctor. An orthopedic traumatologist or sports medicine doctor will do. You can identify the problem with the help of an examination or additional studies: X-ray or MRI. Do not try to make a diagnosis and choose a treatment yourself. Trust your health to specialists.
How to treat the periosteum
The repair of the periosteum can take from 2-3 weeks to several months, depending on the neglect of the injury. Only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.
With inflammation of the periosteum usually prescribed:
Treatment on the principle of rice (rest, ice, pressing dressing and high position)
Nesteroid anti -inflammatory drugs
with the “cooling effect”
Massage of the hollows
. Periosteum Pain Prevention
Strengthen Your Muscles . Most running injuries are due to weak muscles that cannot handle the amount of running volume. Regularly do strength exercises, especially on the stabilizing muscles, strengthen the lower leg and feet. The more trained and stronger the muscles, the less stress is placed on the bones, ligaments and joints. That is why beginners have periosteum problems more often than experienced athletes.
Increase volume gradually . Overload in training is one of the main causes of health problems in athletes. Sometimes it seems that you are ready to run faster and longer - but this does not mean that the body is ready for high loads. In order not to earn an injury, increase the volume of training by no more than 10% per week.
Watch your running technique . Learn to run lighter and take more steps, plant your foot correctly when landing. The quality of the run can be determined by the cadence. If it is low, your run is uneconomical. A cadence of 150 and below for beginners indicates an incorrect running technique . Long steps increase the impact load on the legs, which leads to ankle injuries.
Pick up the sneakers. Correcting the anatomical features of the foot will not work, but you can pay off the impact load by choosing the right sneakers . Almost every sports brand has shoes for people with flat feet and overpronation. Do not forget that sneakers have a resource, after which they need to be changed.
Keep your activity to just the walking that you do during your regular day.
Knee and lower leg. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 50.
More often, pain is diagnosed in the two lower thirds of the lower leg. It occurs in people during aerobics - 22%, while running - 17%, in tall adolescents - 13%. Also, this syndrome is typical for athletes, skiers, skaters, figure skaters, gymnasts, football players. 
" 
She coaches groups in Brooklyn and remotely for clients around the world. “Stand on a flat surface. To maintain balance, you can stick your hand against the wall. Rise slowly up on your feet, distribute your body weight evenly between the first and second toes of your feet, slowly lower yourself down for five counts, try to lower the outer side of the heel last. 
“The stronger your glutes, the better your running form – and the less likely you are to get periosteum inflammation.” 
“Supplementing your shoes with orthopedic insoles can bring significant relief,” says Mike Young. Studies have shown that shock-absorbing insoles are effective in preventing periosteum inflammation. 
The periosteum produces young bone tissue cells - osteoblasts, with the help of which bone regeneration takes place. 
Recent studies have shown that with such pain, the bones themselves are damaged, in the foci of pain, bone density becomes lower. After a course of treatment, pain disappears, bone density returns to normal. 
If you raise the load abruptly, the body does not have time to adapt, the tissue becomes less dense - this leads to inflammation, cracks and fatigue fractures. 
Only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment. 
Sometimes it seems that you are ready to run faster and longer - but this does not mean that the body is ready for high loads. In order not to earn an injury, increase the volume of training by no more than 10% per week. 
