Shinsplints
Shinsplints
Just do it,” says the commercial. So you did. And now you’ve really done it, earning agony in the process.
Shinsplints are those sharp pains in the bones and tissue of the lower legs that may be caused by overuse when working out or running. This irritation of the tissue surrounding the shin muscles commonly occurs after exercising too much too soon, running on hard surfaces, not warming up enough or wearing inadequate footwear. Prevention is the key here. The natural remedies in this chapter, used with the approval of your doctor, may help ease the pain of shinsplints, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When...
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Homeopathy
To ease the pain of shinsplints, try taking a 6C dose of Ruta graveolens three times a day until the discomfort begins to subside, says Stephen Messer, N.D., dean of the National Center for Homeopathy’s summer school and a naturopathic physician in Eugene, Oregon.
Ruta graveolens is available in many health food stores. To purchase it by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.
Massage
Use the friction stroke (page 570) along the muscles in your calf and along the front of your shin, says Vincent Iuppo, N.D., naturopathic physician, massage therapist and director of the Morris Institute of Natural Therapeutics, a holistic health education center in Denville, New Jersey. Work each leg for about 15 minutes, then finish with a few minutes of the effleurage stroke (page 570). You should do this massage every day until the pain subsides.