How to Treat Shin Splints By Stretching
Shin splints take place on the front of the tibia bone, on the lower inside of the leg. They are caused from traction forces that result form repetitive muscle actions on the front of the shin. When they appear, inflammation and pain develop in the periostium which is the layer of material that surrounds the tibia bone. This leads to pain, which can be accompanied with some slight swelling and redness. The way to treat shin splints is by doing some stretches and exercises that focus on the muscles on the front and back of the lower leg.
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Instructions
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Step up. Stand on a step or a block of wood on your heels. Alternate stepping down and back up. By doing this, the anterior tibialis muscle is being strengthened and the posterior tibialis muscle is getting stretched which is corrective exercise for shin splints.
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Back up to a wall. Stand about the length of your foot away from a wall, with your back to the wall. Lift your toes up towards your shins as high as you can, slowly lean backwards until your shoulders touch the wall, then hold the stretch.
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Lift your foot. To put more emphasis on the toe lift stretch, you can also do it on one foot. Start out in the same position as with two feet. After you lean backwards into the wall, lift one foot up and place it flat against the wall. Then lift the toes of the other foot up toward your shin as far as you can and hold.
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Walk across the floor. Stand in a normal position with your arms at your sides. Lift up your toes as high as you can, then walk across the floor on your heels. This is a little more challenging then the static stretches.
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Go back to the wall. This time stand in front of the wall. Place the balls of your feet against it, straighten your leg and lean forward. You can do this with both feet at once or one at a time.
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Tips & Warnings
The anterior tibialis muscles are in the front of the leg and the posterior tibialis muscles are in the back.
