How to Cope With a Shin Splints Stress Fracture
What is a Shin Splint Stress Fracture?
A shin splint stress fracture is something that can happen to athletes who do an extreme amount of training and knowing what the correct steps to take in order to get back to training as soon as possible is vitally important as not knowing them can lead to months of recovery instead of weeks.
In this article I will explain the best steps to take to make a speedy recovery but be advised that you need to look into how to eliminate shin splints completely in order to avoid a shin splint stress fracture, or prevent shin splints, in the future.
It is not uncommon to suffer with a shin splint stress fracture if do a lot of high mileage running, excessive wear and tear will eventually take it’s toll on your body and if you do not take ample recovery time with plenty of rest it will only be a matter of time before you start to feel acute pain in your shins.
There are certain techniques you can use that will help you recover from a shin splint stress fracture and these are listed below.
1. Rest, Rest and More Rest!
Whether you are suffering with shin splints or a shin splint stress fracture rest is probably the most important factor in achieving a speedy recovery. For those of you who are suffering with shin splints it is possible to continue with some form of light training but if you have been diagnosed with a shin splint stress fracture then there is no substitute for complete rest.
It is advisable to take your doctor’s advice about the length of rest you should have, this could be as little as one or two weeks although the length of time required will vary depending upon how severe the injury is.
2. Taping..It May Be Beneficial!
Although taping is not advised initially, it is a good idea to get your shins taped as soon as you become more mobile and start to walk more regularly as it will help to evenly distribute the pressure and tension in the ligaments and muscles of the lower leg thus aiding in recovery. If you are unsure what materials to use for taping or how to tape shin splints your Doctor or a physiotherapist should be able to advise you.
3. Using Shin Splint Stretches At the Earliest Possible Opportunity
Shin Splint stretches, of which there are many, should be implemented into your recovery regime but only when you feel your shins are well enough to do so. Stretches are very important in the recovery process as allowing your shin splint stress fracture to recover whilst your ligaments are tense will make it even more difficult to make a speedy recovery.
You shouldn’t go mad with your stretches, gentle stretches on a regular basis are the order of the day, doing so will improve recovery rate dramatically.
4. DO NOT Start to Run Until Your Shin Splints Stress Fracture is Completely Healed
You will often hear about athletes breaking down with an injury they have just recovered from, well the reason this happens is that they hadn’t recovered FULLY and had started training or competing far too soon, don’t make the same mistake. The chances of the condition flaring up again are heightened considerably if training is commenced too soon so be patient and wait until your shins are fully recovered.
Important: Always remember that these are tips to help with shin splints recovery and will not eliminate further occurrences of shin splints in the future. If you want to know how you can permanently eliminate shin splints then CLICK HERE.
Have a great shin splints free day!
Danny
Tagged with: Shin Splints Stress Fracture • Stress Fracture of the Shin
Filed under: Shin Splint Stress Fracture
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