Sports Medicine Doctor
To prevent shin splints, alternate high-impact activities
like running and dancing with lower-impact exercises
such as cycling and swimming. Stretch before
any workout (this heats up your body's tissues, which
prepares them for impact) and then warm up-five
minutes of slow jogging, for example. Always wear
quality shoes with an air or gel sole for cushioning.
If you're suffering from shin splints, rest for six
weeks (you can switch to a low-impact exercise as long
as it doesn't cause pain). To relieve swelling, ice the
affected areas for 20 minutes, one or two times a day,
and take 600 to 800 milligrams of ibuprofen daily. The
supplements glucosamine (2,000 mg a day) and chondroitin
sulfate (1,600 mg a day) can also speed healing
by helping to repair your connective tissues. Take them
for four to six weeks. If you have nagging pain after six
weeks, see a primary-care or sports-medicine doctor
who can evaluate your feet and skeletal alignment
and check for more serious problems.
-C. T. Moorman III, M.D., director of sports medicine at
Duke University Medical Center
Massage Therapist
To help protect yourself from shin splints, do a gentle
gliding massage stroke called effleurage on your
lower legs for five minutes before every workout.
Effleurage warms up the muscles and helps remove
fluid buildup caused by inflammation. (A massage
therapist can show you how to do it.)
If you already have shin splints, massage will
encourage healing by increasing blood flow to your
aggravated tissues. Ice the front of your leg for up to 15
minutes beforehand to reduce swelling and to minimize
any discomfort the massage may cause. Look for
a massage therapist who specializes in sports massage
or works with athletes; the best way to find a good
one is to ask around and get recommendations.
-Whitney Lowe, LMT, NCTMB, founder and director of the
Orthopedic Massage Education and Research Institute
TCM Practitioner
A practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine will
first ask you to discuss your health history in order to
identify the root cause of the problem. For example,
your liver may not be delivering enough blood to the
muscles, which can make tendons less flexible-and
lead to shin splints.
Then the practitioner will target the tender spots
on your leg and place acupuncture needles where
there's a deficiency of qi (this improves circulation). To
unblock energy pathways, needles are also applied to
the points where the meridians of wood (which governs
tendons), earth (which handles soft tissues), and
water (which deals with bone) intersect.
-Bryn Clark, Dipl.O.M., chair of the
NCCAOM Board of Commissioners
Source: Natural Health
