If you’ve ever experienced that dull, persistent pain along the front of your lower leg, especially after running or exercise, you’re not alone. Shin splints are a common condition that can affect anyone from casual walkers to competitive athletes. The question is, can a chiropractor help with shin splints?
Let’s dive into the root causes of this painful condition and explore how chiropractic care may offer real relief and help you recover faster.
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints, medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome, refer to pain along the shin bone (tibia). Most often, this discomfort affects the lower leg, just above the ankle and below the knee.
Shin splints include:
- Pain on the front or inner part of the shin
- Soreness or tenderness along the shin bone
- Swelling or edema in the lower leg
- Pain that worsens with activity and eases with rest
This painful condition is typically caused by repetitive stress on the shin and surrounding soft tissue, which may happen from overuse, poor footwear, tight muscles, or changes in your exercise routine.
What Causes Shin Splints?
There isn’t just one culprit. Shin splints can develop due to:
- Flat feet or high arches are causing improper foot mechanics
- Sudden increase in training volume or intensity
- Running on hard or uneven surfaces
- Poor arch support and a lack of proper footwear
- Tight calf muscles or weak ankles
- Inadequate warm-up or improper stretching
Tibial stress syndrome occurs when the tissue and muscles near the tibia become overstressed. Over time, this stress can lead to microtears, inflammation, and even the risk of a stress fracture.
Can Chiropractic Care Help With Shin Splints?
Yes, chiropractic care can help. At Elite Chiropractic Rehab & Wellness, we take a holistic approach to treating shin splints, focusing on uncovering the root cause and not just masking the symptoms.
Chiropractic Care for Shin Splints: What to Expect
Chiropractic care offers more than just spinal adjustment for neck pain or back issues. For shin splints, a trained chiropractor can offer therapy that targets the musculoskeletal and soft tissue imbalances contributing to your pain.
Chiropractic treatment for shin splints may include:
- Manual chiropractic adjustments to realign your spine and joints, which help reduce stress on your shin and improve overall posture.
- Soft tissue therapies like massage, myofascial release, and therapeutic ultrasound to break up scar tissue and improve blood flow.
- Corrective exercises that stretch and strengthen your calf muscles, ankles, and lower extremity to support your recovery.
- Orthotics or shoe inserts for improved arch support, especially if flat feet or high arches are causing shin pain.
- Elastic therapeutic tape to reduce inflammation, support ligaments, and aid healing.
- Lifestyle and training advice to prevent future injury, including guidance on proper footwear and exercise routine adjustments.
How Chiropractic Adjustments Help Relieve the Pain of Shin Splints
Chiropractic adjustments aren’t just for your back. Misalignment in your lower body can cause uneven pressure and repetitive strain injury across the tibia and lower leg.
By performing spinal manipulation and appropriate joint mobilization, chiropractic treatment for the shin helps promote better balance and musculoskeletal function. With improved function, relief from inflammation and shin splint pain often follows.
Risk Factors That May Lead to Shin Splints
If you’re suffering from shin splints regularly, it’s important to look at potential risk factors that increase your chance of recurrence:
- High-impact activities like basketball or running
- Wearing worn-out or unsupportive shoes
- Tight hamstrings or calf muscles
- Overuse or sudden increases in activity levels
- Weak core or glute muscles that affect gait
Identifying these risk factors early allows you and your provider to create a prevention-focused treatment plan that helps you recover faster and avoid long-term complications.
Seeing a Chiropractor for Shin Pain
If you’ve been diagnosed with shin splints or suspect you might be dealing with medial tibial stress syndrome, seeing a chiropractor can be a valuable next step.
Here’s how a chiropractor may help:
- Determine the root cause of your shin splints, whether it’s poor foot mechanics, overuse, or skeletal misalignment.
- Use manual therapy to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Break up adhesion (scar tissue) that may be causing shin soreness or poor mobility.
- Implement a personalized treatment plan focused on long-term healing and whole-body health.
Chiropractic care can help relieve existing shin splint pain and reduce the risk of developing shin splints in the future.
Other Helpful Treatments for Shin Splints
While chiropractic care plays an essential role, combining it with other science-backed strategies can enhance results.
Additional treatment for shin splints includes:
- Ice to reduce inflammation
- Compression sleeves to support blood flow
- Proper footwear and shoe inserts
- Stretching and strengthening exercises for the lower leg
- Sports rehabilitation therapy to correct movement patterns
For those dealing with stress (biology) as a contributing factor, exploring mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits may also improve overall health and recovery.
Real Results for Shin Splints With Chiropractic Care in Walnut Creek
At Elite Chiropractic Rehab & Wellness, we’ve helped many local patients, from runners to weekend walkers, find meaningful relief from the pain of shin splints with chiropractic care. Our approach doesn’t rely on pain medications but instead integrates structural correction, therapeutic techniques, and personalized care for lower leg and whole-body healing.
If you’re experiencing shin splint pain, don’t wait until the pain stops and starts interfering with your daily life.
Focus on a treatment plan that eases pain, prevents recurrence, and supports your return to physical fitness.
Ready to Relieve Shin Splint Pain? Let’s Start Your Recovery
Suffering from shin splints can become a frustrating cycle of starts, stops, and setbacks. But you don’t have to go it alone.
Chiropractic care can help you diagnose the cause of your shin splints, reduce pain and inflammation, and improve your body’s ability to heal.
At Elite Chiropractic Rehab & Wellness in Walnut Creek, we’re here to guide you every step of the way, whether you’re dealing with leg pain from training or looking for smart ways to prevent future injury.
Don’t let shin splint pain hold you back. Schedule an appointment with our experienced team today and take the first step toward lasting relief and total leg health.
