Hitting That Hard To Reach Spot…
‘Shin Splints’ is one of those annoying generic terms commonly used to describe a handful of similar (but very different) issues affecting a particular part of the lower leg – particularly the medial border of the tibia – the inner aspect of the shin bone.
Collectively we can refer to these issues as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). One such issue is characterised by irritation of the outer surface (periosteum) of the inside of the shin bone at the point where the Tibialis Posterior and Soleus muscles attach. This is particularly common in, but certainly not exclusive to runners who have recently changed to midfoot/forefoot strike pattern, and increase training milage too quickly.
For those runners who do suffer with tightness through Tibialis Posterior, and the dull medial shin pain that comes with it, finding a stretch to effectively target the specific muscle can be really difficult. In the video below, I demonstrate a simple tweak to the classic Soleus stretch that changes it into a targeted Tibialis Posterior stretch…
Last updated on March 2nd, 2021.
i need a stretch for tibialis anterior, there is a nagging burning sensation. should i ice the area
I found using a 30 degree wedge works well assisting the foot in eversion, would be interested to know your thoughts on that?
Yup, a 30deg wedge is certainly something I’ve used successfully with runners in clinic. Perhaps not the most practical when out-and-about though, which is why I love this stretch!
I currently have shin splints, more specifically focused around posterior tibialis..how many of these stretches should I do and how often? Are they ok to do when already suffering with pain from shin splints? I use a roller, ice, massage ball on feet and heel drops/heel walking but do not know how frequent these should all be done. any advice greatly appreciated.