Shin splints and leg pains are injuries that must be taken seriously as they can quickly develop into a severe health risk, such as a stress injury, unless correctly diagnosed by a podiatrist.

Shins splints and leg pain can affect anyone, but is more typically seen in recreational exercisers and athletes. 10-15% of all running injuries are shin splints causing excruciating leg pain. The term ‘shin splints’ is a general term that refers to a number of leg pains associated with exercise. The type, duration and time the pain appears when exercising helps to diagnose the type of shin splint and how it can be treated. Continued exercise without adequate treatment can quickly lead to increased leg pain and a more serious injury.

Podiatrists see shin splints almost every day, and can prescribe the best method of treatment for your individual situation. Contact Instep Podiatry today and start your treatment for shin splints to reduce leg pain.

Shin splints and leg pain are most commonly caused by:

• High intensity impact:
  Sports with sudden stops and starts, such as basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and other sports that are played on hard surfaces cause an overload to the associated muscles of the leg. Long distance runners are commonly affected by shin splints and leg pain. Our podiatrists can recommend the correct footwear for your sport by conducting our footwear assessment.

• Rapidly increasing training:
  Increasing activity, intensity or duration too quickly can lead to shin splints and leg pain because the tendons and muscles are unable to absorb the impact of the shock force as they become fatigued.

• Excessive standing/walking/running:
  People who spend extended amounts of time on their feet per day (4-5 hours + per day) are also at a high risk of developing shin splints. In particular, occupations in the manufacturing, health and community services, construction, retail and hospitality industries are commonly affected by shin splints and leg pain.

• Incorrect footwear:
  Shin splints and leg pain could also be the result of improper footwear for the type of exercise or work. Call Instep Podiatry today to book in your footwear assessment.

Instep Podiatry have extensive history in diagnosing and treating shin splints and leg pain. If you are experiencing shin splints or leg pain we recommend taking a footwear assessment and biomechanical analysis with one of our trained and highly-skilled podiatrists. At Instep, our podiatrists are able to correctly diagnose the cause of your pain or discomfort and undertake the necessary treatments. We will also educate you on preventative measures to alleviate leg pains caused from shin splints.

If you regularly suffer from shin splints and leg pains, talk to Instep Podiatry today to see how we can help you, contact us for a consultation.