Lower leg pain · Ponsonby
Shin splints treatment for lower-leg pain that keeps coming back
Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) is one of the most common running injuries we see. The pain runs along the inside of the shin and is worst at the start of a run, often easing mid-run before returning afterwards. The usual advice is to rest, which helps until you try to run again and it comes back. Without addressing the load causing it, the cycle repeats.
Does this sound like you?
- ✓ Pain along the inside of the shin during or after running
- ✓ It eases with rest but returns when training volume picks up
- ✓ The shin is tender to touch along the inner edge of the bone
- ✓ It has come back before, or returns every season
If that sounds like you, this is exactly what we treat. Book an assessment and we will confirm the right plan.
What is actually happening
The pain comes from overload at the point where muscles attach to the tibia. The bone and periosteum (the tissue covering it) are absorbing more impact than they can handle, usually because of a rapid increase in training load, a change in surface or footwear, or a biomechanical issue concentrating force in one area. In its early stages it is a stress reaction; left unmanaged, it can progress to a stress fracture.
How we treat shin splints
We assess the shin, your running pattern and the training load that caused it. For chronic shin pain that has not settled with rest, shockwave can restart the healing process in the bone and periosteum. We pair this with a graded return-to-run programme and, where appropriate, advice on gait, footwear and load management, because the training habit that caused it needs to change too.
Getting you back to training
The goal is a full return to running, not permanent restriction. We give you a clear, stage-by-stage return-to-run programme so you know exactly when it is safe to build and what to watch for.
This is one of the injuries we treat with shockwave therapy at our Ponsonby clinic. Read more about how shockwave works, who it suits and what a course of treatment involves.
Common questions
Can I keep running during treatment? +
Is shockwave useful for shin splints? +
Do I need imaging to diagnose shin splints? +
Related
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Shockwave therapy in Ponsonby
How shockwave works, who it suits and what a course of treatment involves.
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Tell us what's going on and we'll come back to you within one business day.
Book your assessment
Your first visit is a full assessment, hands-on treatment, and a plan you take home.
Visit us
Our Ponsonby clinic
Return To Form Physio
179A Ponsonby Road
Ponsonby, Auckland 1011
Entry on Franklin Road
ACC registered · Multi-disciplinary team · Treating Ponsonby for over 16 years