Category: Sports Injury

Can Physical Therapy Help with Shin Splints?

4/25/2018

The shinbone or the tibia is the front surface of the lower leg. This part of the body is under constant stress and strain when we walk, jump and run.
An overuse injury happens when a certain threshold of tolerance is crossed. This is a condition called shin splints. Intense pain occurs on the front, inside, outside and at times, the back of the lower leg. If left untreated, this pain can lead to stress fractures of the tibia.

Shin splints occur due to damage and inflammation of the muscle tendons attached to the tibia. The pain can be rather unbearable, forcing individuals to take prolonged periods of rest to allow for the inflammation to heal. Physical therapy plays an important role in the treatment of shin splints.
Visit your physical therapist if:

There is a lingering pain after exercising or physical activity. The pain does not subside after 3-4 days of resting and icing the joint or limb.
There is a dull pain, which recurs with activity.
Pain does not resolve with over the counter pain relief medication.
The lower leg is swollen or shows signs of bruising after activities.

Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Shin Splints

Tips for Prevention of Shin Splints:

Individuals with flat feet should wear well-padded shoes.
Warming up the limbs and body followed by stretching is recommended.
Wear a neoprene sleeve to keep the lower leg warm.
At the first sign of shin pain, discontinue the workout.
Avoid running on concrete and other hard surfaces.
Develop the habit of stretching periodically throughout the day.
Lose weight if you are overweight to relieve load on the hip, knee and shin.

Diagnosis of Shin Splints:
The history of the event that triggered the pain is an important clue. A clinical assessment that includes gentle pressure on the shin area and a variety of special tests will be conducted by the physical therapist. Stress fractures, compartment syndrome, nerve entrapment and popliteal artery entrapment are a few of the conditions that must be considered.
Treatment of Shin Splints:
Foundations of treatment include ice and rest.
Gait and footwear analysis
An analysis of how a person walks and runs is an important part of treatment. The wrong mechanism of walking can transmit a great deal of force through the shin to the knee and hip. In such situations, physical therapists will correct gait patterns and recommend footwear with shock absorbing capacity.
Muscle stretches and strengthening
The tibial and peroneal muscles are attached to the shin and must be stretched adequately before any form of exercise. Physical therapy includes various stretches of the foot that will help stretch and warm up these muscles. Strengthening the damaged muscles can also help.
Activity modification
Physical therapists may suggest alternative activities to minimize stress on the shinbones. These can include swimming and cycling.
Range of motion exercises
Exercises for the hip, knee, ankle and foot improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Arch support
The absence or collapse of a normal foot arch can lead to shin splints. Physical therapists will recommend appropriate orthotics that can be custom made for the patient and provide the appropriate amount of arch support.

Getting You Back on your Feet...

The Recovery Phase
The recovery phase varies and can take between 3 weeks to 6 months. Take it easy and work your way back to your favorite activities under the supervision of the physical therapist. Low or non-impact activities such as swimming, walking, bicycling can pave the way for progressive, load bearing exercises.

The shin splint has healed when:

The affected limb has regained strength and flexibility and is now comparable to the unaffected limb.
There is no pain while jogging, sprinting and jumping
X-rays reveal healed stress fractures

Physical therapy can help you get back on your feet, and every member of our team is standing by to help you. We can help prevent further injury and pain, which is why an appointment should be scheduled at the first sign of discomfort.
The sooner you give us the opportunity to assess the injury and initiate treatment, the faster you will recover. Thank you for your time, and we look forward to helping you get back on your feet.

RSS Feed

Request an Appointment

0 Comments

Physical Therapy - The Secret to Athletic Excellence

1/12/2018

0 Comments

The vast majority of people believe the primary use of physical therapy is for back pain or rehabilitation of an injury such as fracture leg or whiplash. While physical therapy is beneficial in all those situations, it’s equally advantageous for individuals who want to improve their athletic performance.
Athletes don’t have to seek the services of a personal trainer or strength coach if they want to run faster or jump higher.

Physical therapists are experts in how the musculoskeletal system works and how to maximize the potential of any individual whether they’re a high school athlete, participating at the collegiate level, or competing in professional events.
Physical therapy is so effective that world-class Olympians regularly receive care from a physical therapist to keep their bodies in top condition and improve agility, stamina, and endurance. Different sports and activities all require specific muscle sets. The same muscles used for performing a high jump aren’t the same that an individual utilizes for rowing and each need a different approach.
The time to begin a physical therapy training program is before an individual will call upon their body to perform. For those who regularly compete, physical therapy is a valuable tool for maintaining performance and fitness levels during the off season.

Training for a Lifetime

A physical therapist can identify a wide variety of functional problems that include muscle weakness or gait dysfunction. Training and conditioning provided by a physical therapist is beneficial throughout an individual’s lifetime. A physical therapist can help with:

Increased strength, speed and agility
Improved stamina and endurance
Reduced risk of injury
Reduced risk of overtraining
Gait and postural assessments
Sport-specific enhancement

As part of a physical therapy athletic program, individuals will receive information about nutrition and dietary supplements that address any deficits in diet and offer the essential elements needed for successfully honing the body.
Physical therapy aids in multiple sports endeavors. It helps in basketball with improved vertical extension. Football players will find they have better explosive speed and strength for blocking and tackling. Baseball players can increase arm strength and batting speed. Techniques are equally applicable for amateur athletes who participate in activities such as biking and running.

Be the Best Version of You

Your physical therapist has a number of assessments that he/she can perform to determine your strengths, areas of weakness, and any functional problems that may be interfering with your ability to compete at peak performance. Exercise and strengthening programs will be tailored to your individual needs, any specific sport in which you may be competing, your level of fitness and any pre-existing conditions.

Your physical therapist is also your best line of defense against over-training. In the quest to become the “best,” you may be tempted to put in more training time than you should. That path can actually lead to a loss in overall performance and increases the risk of injury. Your physical therapist will guide you in stretching and warm-up exercises and the proper amount to train without injuring yourself.
Manual manipulation and adjustments to the neck and spine help your body move smoothly and relieves pressure on the neurological system that surrounds the spine. Cupping, acupuncture and dry needling may be employed to reduce muscle tension and increase circulation.
Therapeutic massage stimulates the immune system, increases circulation and helps detoxify the body. It loosens and relaxes muscles making them less susceptible to an injury. Hydrotherapy utilizes the power of water as a type of resistance training. It’s an effective treatment for building strength, balance and stamina.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a world-class athlete or you want to play a little one-on-one basketball in the backyard. Physical therapy significantly reduces the risk of injury and enables you to be the best version of yourself you can be.

RSS Feed

Request an appointment now

Sports enhancement

Subscribe to Our Insider-Only Newsletter

Get useful health, wellness and injury prevention articles sent directly to your inbox.

0 Comments

Location

1605 Hillside Ave,
New Hyde Park, NY 11040

516-616-0942

We are open

Mon - Fri: 7:00 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm

If you want to save the world, call any fictional hero but if you want a pain free body* call HTPT hero at (516) 616-0942

Quality without any compromises since 1999.

“There are some people who are excellent at what they do. And then there are people who are sincere, caring and kind hearted. You happen to be both, and for that I am very grateful." Claurine

Considering the convenience of people doing evening and night shifts we are moving closing time on Monday to Friday from 9 pm to 10 pm starting October 2020. Also, we are open on Sunday's from 1 pm to 8 pm.