Sprained Ankle Exercises
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Shin Splints are a common injury affecting the front and/or inside of the shin bone (tibia). It is often painful when walking and made worse with impact activities such as running or jumping. Exercises for shin splints can help address biomechanical issues or muscle imbalances that may have caused the onset of shin splints. Shin Splints Exercises detailed in this article are common exercises we recommend to our patients. They are one piece of the puzzle, and we have created a shin splints treatment article to read about all the other factors that can help you resolve your injury.
Please scroll down for a detailed description of how to do our recommended exercises.
Stretching your calf muscles (Soleus and Gastrocnemius) is a crucial aspect of treatment for shin splints. Tight calves can overload the Anterior Tibialis Muscle, contributing to shin splint pain; you can complement these stretches with foam rolling. Anterior Tibialis stretching helps provide pain relief. We often recommend prioritizing stretching until you are in control of your pain, i.e. pain-free walking, before beginning strengthening exercises.
Strengthening the ankle and foot stability muscles can help control the foot’s motion through the gait cycle, including the Peroneal Muscles, Posterior Tibial Muscle, and soleus muscle.
Alongside strengthening exercises, we recommend balance exercises for your foot and ankle. Balance exercises can be as simple as single-leg balance and can progress onto single-leg balance on an unstable surface such as a wobble cushion.
Finally, we recommended strengthening supplementary muscles such as the Gastrocnemius and hamstring muscles. Upon completion, and if pain-free, we recommend plyometric exercises such as double and single-leg hopping on the sport so the shin bone can increase its tolerance for shock absorption.
This is not medical advice. We recommend a consultation with a medical professional such as James McCormack. He offers Online Physiotherapy Appointments for £45.
Related Article: Shin Splints Treatment