By Dr. William Booker, D.C. and Dr. Ed Beck, DC

WHAT ARE SHIN SPLINTS?

Shin Splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition of the shins. e most common cause is inflammation to the periosteum, the outer sheath of the shinbone (tibia). Specifically, the pain associated with shin splints is the resultof fatigue and trauma to the muscles and tendons where they attach to the tibia. e most commonly affected muscle is the tibialis anterior, with secondary involvement of the tibialis posterior, extensors hallicus and digitorum longus, andflexors digitorum and hallicus longus.

WHY TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS MAY NOT PRODUCE LONGTERM BENEFITS FOR SHIN SPLINTS

Traditional treatments include:

• Rest• Ice or cold therapy to reduce inﬂammation• Improving the shock absorption in the shoes• Stretching the muscles of the lower leg• Prescribing anti-inﬂammatory medicines• Taping the shin for support

e above remedies may produce results in the initial stages of the injury, but

often do not achieve long lasting beneﬁt. In order to aﬀect long term changes, the

biomechanical ﬂaws of the lower leg must be addressed and corrected.Common ﬂaws include:

• Weaknesses of the gluteal muscles, in particular the gluteus medius• Tight/weak calf muscles• Poor balance and proprioception of the feet

Active ReleaseTechnique

Athletic Injuries & Shin Splints

Dr. William Booker D.C.

Dr. William Booker D.C. holds aDoctorate of Chiropractic from theCleveland College of Chiropractic,Los Angeles. He completed hisundergraduate studies at theUniversity of Virginia, where hegraduated with a major inpsychology and a minor in Biology.After completing his internship inPhiladelphia, Dr. Booker relocatedto Arlington to open the ﬁrstCapitol Rehab inside of Gold’sGym. Dr. Booker establishedCapitol Rehab-Arlington as theﬂagship for what would be theeventual opening of eightadditional Capitol Rehabs locatedthroughout Virginia, West Virginiaand Maryland.

Capitol Rehab of Arlington : 801 N. Quincy, Suite 130 : Arlington, VA 22203 : 703.527.5492 : @capitolrehab : drbooker@capitolrehab.com

February 11, 2010

e result of these imbalances is unusual load to the tibialis musclesand stress to the anterior region of the shin.

Where proper rehabilitation should be incorporated to correct the biomechanicalﬂaws and weaknesses associated with Shin Splints, Active Release Techniqueshould be introduced early in the rehab process to reduce scar tissue formation inthe overworked muscles.

WHAT IS ART OR ACTIVE RELEASE?

ART is a patented, state of the art approach developed by Dr. Michael Leahy fortreating soft tissue injuries, in particular, repetitive stress and overuse injuries.

WHY DOES ACTIVE RELEASE WORK?

When a person has biomechanical or training ﬂaws such as over-pronation, weak gluteals, tight muscles of the calf and Achilles tendon or has suddenly increasedtraining mileage or intensity, a repetitive stress syndrome of the lower leg and footcan occur. is repetitive stress creates three important changes in the softtissues:

• An acute condition in the leg and foot (strains, pulls or tears)• ere is an accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)• And there is a decrease in oxygen to the damaged area (hypoxia)

e end result is the production of a tough, thick scar tissue to the aﬀected area,in this case, the shin. As scar tissue develops, muscles become weaker, tendonsbecome irritated and nerves can become entrapped. ART uses a movementbased massage technique that:

• Breaks up the scar tissue• Increases the functional range of motion• Increases circulation to the damaged area

HOW WOULD I KNOW IF I HAVE SHIN SPLINTS?

Patients often describe Shin Splints as follows:* Tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner part of your lower leg.* Mild swelling* Pain may be worse with pointing foot downward

* Pain at the start of exercise that may ease as the session continues* Pain may return after activity and be worse the next morning.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I HAVE SHIN SPLINTS?

It is recommended that you identify a provider who is trained in Active Release Technique, ideally one who incorporates a functional rehabilitation program. In

order to achieve long-term results, he patient must be instructed on home care

and self care exercises that address how to strengthen weak muscles and release

the overactive muscles as well.

Dr. Edward Beck, D.C.

Dr. Beck received his doctorate inchiropractic from PalmerChiropractic College in Davenport,IA. He completed his Bachelors ofScience degree from ConcordiaUniversity in Exercise Sciencemajoring in Adapted PhysicalActivity. While at Concordia hevolunteered with differentorganization from the YMHA to theGolden Age Association.After completion of his doctoratedegree he worked in Winamac,Indiana with a practice specializingin the Gonstead system ofchiropractic. Dr. Beck hascompleted many hours ofcertiﬁcation from the Gonsteadseminar based in Chicago, IL.