your arch –thereby relieving the stress of the muscle you have damaged. This is most effective in correcting the structural The Truth About . . . origin of the problem: loss of arch height. A combination of (to ad- dress the cause of your shin splints) and Shin Splints therapies (to decrease the inflammation) is the most effective strategy. How Long Will It Take To Heal? This depends on how long you have had the problem (chronicity), how active you are and how consistently you waer the For a professional consultation orthotics. By correcting the cause of your regarding whether Sole Supports problem with a Sole Supports™ foot or- may be helpful for you, please thotic, you can usually expect 50-70% relief the first month, 70-90% the second contact the following certified Sole month and 90-100% the third. Supports practitioner:

What Is It? Tibialis Anterior and/or Tibialis Poste- rior tendonitis or “shin splints” gener- ally refers to pain anywhere along the shinbone () between the and the . It occurs as a result of dam- age and inflammation of the

This brochure provides a general overview on A Tight Can Force A Flattening Of this topic and may not apply to everyone. To The Arch And Aggravate A Case Of Shin find out if this handout applies to you and to Splints ! get more information on this subject, consult with your certified Sole Supports practitioner. www.solesupports.com and muscles that run up the shin. Shin in and other stresses to the lower splints is commonly seen in runners and leg such as hard or changing running sur- athletes. faces. may include pain Another major contributor to shin splints is along the front inside edge of your shin. over-pronation or arch flattening. The mus- You may also have pain on the inner back cles in your leg that are primarily involved side of your leg. The area may be tender are the tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior to the touch and in some cases can be- muscles. These muscles help support your come red and swollen. You may be able arch. When your arch flattens these muscles to reproduce the pain of shin splints by can become overworked and start to break pointing your foot and toes down, but it down causing pain and inflammation. is mostly aggravated by activity and exer- How Is It Treated? cise. Your doctor may consider an x-ray to rule out stress fractures and other condi- There are two main concepts in the treat- tions. ment of shin splints: 1) the decrease of pain, inflammation or swelling and 2) addressing How Did I Get It? the cause of the condition. The primary cause of shin splints is the Exercise: Stretching and strengthening overuse of the involved muscle and ten- exercises are aimed at lengthening and have a chance to heal. You may also be don. This can happen with an increase in strengthening muscles in your lower leg to advised to avoid activities such as run- exercise levels, repetitive movements as take the stress off your shins. Exercises that ning and try biking or swimming until your make your muscles stronger are usually ef- shin can heal. It is important to remember fective in prevention of a recurrence once that although rest may decrease your pain your shin splints have healed. temporarily, it does not address the reason Anti-Inflammatory Agents: These may in- why you have shin splints. clude ice and oral anti-inflammatory medi- Surgery: In very rare cases that do not re- cations. Ice can be applied directly to the spond to conservative measures, surgery painful areas of your shin. A compressive may be considered to repair muscles and elastic bandage can be helpful if there is tendons that are severely damaged. any swelling. These may provide some tem- Custom Foot Orthotics: Properly designed porary relief from the pain of inflammation, biomechanical orthotics (the kind that ac- but are not helpful in addressing the under- tually change how your foot functions) are lying causes of your condition. often the most effective treatment of shin Rest and Avoidance: Rest is often recom- splints. The right orthotic will address both mended to reduce inflammation and swell- the current painful condition and prevent ing. You may be advised to decrease your re-occurrence of the problem over the long training time or distance until your shins term. A Sole Supports™ orthotic will cradle