Our DC Metro Sports Fitness Physical Therapists Offer Specialized PT for Athletes With Shin Splints

Are you tired of shin splints cramping your style? You’re not alone. These injuries are common among athletes who participate in high-impact activities or who have recently switched up their training routine or intensity. Though shin splints often respond to rest and lifestyle or footwear modifications, if these measures don't ease your pain—or you're struggling with recurring injuries—it's time to consult a professional. Without proper care, shin splints could develop into stress fractures.

At SPARK Physiotherapy in Alexandria, Virginia, our certified sports fitness physical therapy specialists provide personalized PT to help athletes with shin splints recover and retrain their muscles to avoid re-injury. We offer step-by-step guidance, motivation, and accountability for every stage of your fitness journey. We offer one-on-one sessions with your SPARK physical therapist to help you maximize your athletic efforts. Discover how our experienced PTs can assist you and why we’re the best-kept secret of DC area athletes.

Exploring Shin Splint Causes and Risk Factors

Also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, shin splints are a common overuse injury caused by repetitive stress to the shin bone (tibia) and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to it. Overworking the tibia can irritate and inflame the attached muscles and tendons, resulting in painful shin splints.

Though shin splints can affect anyone, runners, dancers, and those who participate in other high-impact sports have an increased risk for the condition. Other factors that could raise your risk of shin splints include:

Being a military recruit in training
Starting a new running program
Increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of your workouts suddenly
Running on uneven terrain or hard surfaces like concrete
Having structural foot issues, such as flat feet or high arches
Having a preexisting condition like osteopenia or osteoporosis, vitamin D deficiency, or an eating disorder
Walking long distances
Wearing unsupportive shoes while exercising

Identifying Signs and Symptoms of Shin Splints

A sharp or dull ache in the front of the lower leg that runs the length of the tibia is the most common symptom associated with shin splints. You might also have tenderness, pain, and mild swelling along the inner side of your shin bone. Shin splint pain typically flares with activity and eases with rest—at first. However, without treatment, the pain could become continuous or lead to stress fractures. These tiny cracks in the bone can have a big impact on your athletic progress, sidelining you for six to eight weeks and sometimes even longer.

How Our Personalized Sports Fitness PT Can Help You Recover From Shin Splints and Safely Return to Activity

SPARK Physiotherapy’s Personal Fitness physical therapy program is ideal for athletes who enjoy dynamic, high-intensity sports and end up with many of the common injuries associated with them. If you’re tired of shin splints getting in your way, our adept Alexandria, Virginia, sports PT pros can offer techniques to help you recover and return to activity as quickly and safely as possible. We even offer sport-specific physical therapy to make sure we work toward your goals and get you back into action as soon as possible. Here’s what you should know when getting started.

Biomechanical Assessment and Gait Analysis

PT for shin splints typically starts with a biomechanical assessment and gait analysis, which allow us to understand your fitness level and movement patterns better and identify potential areas of weakness that might predispose you to injuries like shin splints. These evaluations are essential to helping us create your ideal PT training plan.

Goal Development

You and your SPARK Physiotherapy PT will discuss your schedule, lifestyle, and athletic ambitions and work together to identify your physical therapy goals. Your goals should be reasonable and attainable – challenging but not overly oppressive.

Shin Splint Recovery and Injury Prevention

Your PT training plan will consist of various stretches and exercises designed to strengthen the weaknesses or imbalances identified in your biomechanical assessment and gait analysis. The plan will also gently strengthen the muscles attached to the shin bone. We work with you at every step, providing custom guidance, support, and motivation for your fitness journey. Don’t let shin splints get ahead of you – with a dedicated D.C. physical therapy pro on your side, you can get back to your favorite activities sooner rather than later.