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Treatment of shin splints: sports massage

Sports massage can aid the recovery process by helping to reduce tension in the lower leg muscles. This relieves any extra pressure being placed on the shin (tibia) in the areas where the muscles attach to the bone. Reducing the stresses will not only speed the recovery process but will also improve the condition of the soft tissues making a recurrence of the injury less likely. However, sports massage is not suitable for everyone and there are a number of contra-indications. For this reason, you must always visit a qualified sports massage therapist for professional advice and treatment before considering any form of do-it-yourself massage.

The benefits of sports massage

Regular sports massage treatments are an everyday part of life for most sports professionals whether injured or not. The benefits are not only physical but also psychological and include:

Aids recovery of injured tissue
Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
Provides an effective preventative measure against injury and loss of mobility
Helps maintain general good health and condition
Can improve sporting performance
Can extend the life of a sports career

The main techniques used in sports massage therapy for the shins are:

Effleurage

This is a light stroking movement used at the start of the session to begin warming up and relaxing the muscles so it is used around the whole area of the lower leg

Stripping

After a few minutes of lighter effleurage movements, muscle stripping begins. Slightly more pressure is applied through this movement to work deeper into the soft tissues but direct pressure over the front of the lower leg must be avoided in a shin splint rehabilitation massage so stripping is often confined to the bulkier muscles of the calf

Cross frictions

The thumbs are used by the therapist in this technique. Both thumbs work across each other to create the friction effect so this movement will be used in all areas including the front of the shin once free of pain

Once the rehabilitation process is complete and a full return to running has been made, a regular sports massage can continue to be a valuable part of any runner’s training programme, whether competitive or not, to help maintain the condition of the muscles surrounding the shin. A sports massage therapist can identify any signs of tension and treat any tiny knots that may be forming in the muscles long before they become a problem. This, along with a thorough investigation into any other potential causes, can help to make sure that shin splints never cause trouble again.