Shin splints are a common and painful affliction for runners, triathletes, footballers and other athletes who run. Because of the nature of its symptoms, shin splints can go unrecognised for a long time.

This page explains shin splints in detail and tells you how you can overcome the problem with simple, natural solutions.

Our goal is to help you be the best runner you can be. Pain-free running can be as simple as Making an appointment online with Vitalchi's resident kinesiologist.

Shin splints is the term for the pain experienced in the lower leg, either in the muscles where they attach to the bone or in the main part of the muscles. There are a number of areas where you can experience shin splints. The most common types affecting runners are anterior shin splints (pain in the front muscle of the leg) and medial shin splints (pain on the inside of the shin bone).

• you have pain in your shins while running
• the area is painful or tender to touch
• your shin feels 'umpy' or bumpy when you run your thumb along it
• you feel a jarring impact pain from running on harder surfaces.

There are several theories as to why shin splints occur. The most likely reason is over-training - which can happen if you increase the frequency, duration or intensity of your running too rapidly.

The second theory is muscle switching. Muscle switching is a defence process the brain engages when it experiences stress. If the brain senses injury, or the potential for injury, it can literally'switch' muscles off. From a runner's perspective this means that only some of the calf muscle fibres are trying to do the work of the whole muscle. This can be likened to driving a V8 car and having only four cylinders working. Four cylinders may be sufficient for day to day travel, but when you want to go for a long drive or need real power it simply won't be there.

Shin splints due to muscle switching cause so much pain because the remaining muscles and tendon fibres that are working are under so much pressure trying to'carry the whole load' that they become damaged and inflamed. Imagine how hard it would feel trying to rock climb and being allowed to use only two of your fingers! It's the same for your calf muscles.

Shin splints won't simply go away without dedicated treatment. It's not something you can simply'work through'.

Pain in the shins => Compensation and alteration to running style => Further injuries in legs, knees, hips or back => Frustration and less motivation to run.

Continued and sustained exercise on shins experiencing shin splints will only create further problems and pain. Shin splints can become a persistent and debilitating problem, and can even lead to permanent structural damage.

You really needn't let shin splints impede your running. So, before it gets too bad, run on in to Vitalchi and consult our experienced kinesiologist. Kinesiology can very often have you on the road to better, comfortable running in a very short time.

Kinesiology's guiding principle is all about 'balance'. When the body's systems and components are in balance and harmony, health and fitness can flourish.

When shin splints occur it signals an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and/or bones in the legs. Kinesiology works with the body to establish what is out of balance, and then uses a variety of techniques to restore the balance so that your body will then naturally realign itself, and your legs will feel much better the next time you run.

Treatment time varies among individuals but virtually everyone sees an improvement right from the first session.

Jarrod Bailey is Vitalchi's resident kinesiologist, and he specialises in working with athletes. A runner himself, Jarrod competes in triathlon, half Ironman and half marathon events so, combined with his kinesiology training, he has a thorough theoretical and practical understanding of running and how to treat conditions such as shin splints.

If you want to run without pain once again, come and see Vitalchi's resident kinesiologist who specialises in working with athletes.

Make an appointment online, send us an email, or a phone us on (03) 9894-0014. Our clinic in Blackburn, Melbourne, is open six days a week.