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Writer's pictureTeresa Porter

Suffering from shin splints? Try this exercise

Updated: Oct 3, 2023

Shin Splints is a lower leg injury, common in endurance athletes who run and/or jump quite often. This syndrome is also called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). This is especially true when people quickly ramp up their intensity without a proper training program, incurring high volumes of stress through their legs.


Shin splints have several causes including increased ankle flexion, decreased range of motion in the hip, increased foot pronation, and a weak tibialis anterior. The Tibialis Anterior muscle is the muscle in front of your leg, which is the primary dorsiflexor of the ankle (when the toes are pulled back towards your body). This muscle functions in the gait cycle during the swing phase and when your foot first contacts the ground, before push-off phase. That means, every time your foot hits the ground while walking / running, this muscle helps dampen the stress going up the chain.


This exercise is great to help strengthen your tibialis anterior. The stronger you make this muscle, the more load it can take without breaking down or putting too much load on the tibia bone. Simply sit down and flex your toes back towards you. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then repeat. We recommend doing 3 sets of 10, 3x per day. And the best part is, you can perform this exercise anywhere.


If you are suffering from shin splints, running pains, or simply lack of mobility, let us help you! You can call and schedule an appointment today at (615)-900-5187. Happy running!




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