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Ask Dr. Dot Treating shin splints
Posted: Thursday July 22, 1999 03:32 PM
Click here to send your question to Dr. Dot.
I tend to get shin splints when my coach has us run laps in our cleats.
What can I do to keep this from happening?
"Shin splints" is defined as pain and discomfort in the leg from repetitive running on hard surfaces or excessive use of the muscles that bring up the foot. The pain and tenderness are along the inner two thirds of the tibia, the bone between the knee and the ankle. It is not a stress fracture. So what causes the pain? Doctors' best guess is that it is the development of periostitis, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the bone where the muscles attach in that area. Shin splints can be caused and irritated by the shoes you wear and by a change in the surface you run on. Rest is the best treatment, with a gradual return to normal exercise so long as the pain is no longer present. This can take as little as two days, or more than two weeks. Ice massage two to three times per day, a course of anti-inflammatory medications, and stretching and strengthening exercises are useful along with rest. Some athletes who develop shin splints have flat feet (excessive pronation). In these cases, the athlete should wear appropriate orthotic support, as well as follow a rehabilitation program that includes stretching of the calf muscles and strengthening of all the muscles in the lower leg. Aside from the treatments mentioned above, I suggest you change out of your cleats and into some good running shoes when it is time to run laps. I believe softball cleats are made for a lap of 240 feet at one time. Hopefully all you'll need to do is jog as you touch all the bases. I am a 10th-grade basketball player who was recently diagnosed with a
strained quadriceps. What is the best way to treat this nagging
injury?
Muscle strains are common and disabling in athletic activities. They occur most often to muscles that function over two joints. In the thigh, these are the hamstrings and the rectus femoris of the quadriceps. Treatment for this acute injury is best remembered by the mnemonic RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (above the level of the heart.). After the acute phase of the injury, stretching and contrast treatments (alternating ice and heat treatments) can help you in your recovery. You will continually irritate this injury if you do not give yourself time to fully recover. After 7 days, 77% of the muscle's strength will return and 90% of the muscle's ability to generate force. But in all cases, prevention is the best treatment, which is best achieved through stretching and strengthening exercises along with a good warm-up of the muscle before exercise. See a health care professional so you can be sure that your injury has been properly diagnosed. What grades do I need to get a scholarship in softball? What should my
GPA be?
The standards for your GPA should be only those you place on it. Create your own standards both on and off the field and work hard to keep them. The student-athletes who get scholarships are usually those driven to always do their best. If you keep your GPA at the highest level you can then you have done your best. That is all you can ask of yourself. Remember, scholarships come in a number of different forms: academic, athletic, financial and special grants to name a few. There are also a lot of students who hold down jobs to pay for their education. Reach to be the best you can and go after all you want to be. Click here to send your question to Dr. Dot.
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