”Shin Splints” – Which Type Have You ?

”Shin splints” is a catch-all term for shin pain either on the front outside part of the lower leg (anterior shin splints) or on the inside of the lower leg (medial shin splints). It is the curse of many athletes including runners, tennis players, dancers etc. Frequently the condition plagues novice runners who do not build their mileage gradually enough. It also affects seasoned runners who abruptly change their workout regimen, suddenly adding too much mileage, or switching from running on the flat to hills. The term mainly refers mainly to the following three conditions 1. mini stress fractures within the tibia bone, 2. chronic exertional compartment syndrome, 3. medial tibial stress syndrome.  It is important to differentiate between the three for treatment.

 

1. Real ”shin splints”

Real ”shin splints” are mini stress fractures (splint-ers) within the tibia bone. With this condition pain is gradual in onset, getting worse with activity, and there is usually a history of an increase in training intensity. Pain may occur with walking, at rest, or even at night in bed. Treatment for this condition involves rest for about eight weeks from running to allow the little stress fractures to heal. You should be able to keep up fitness levels by cycling, swimming etc., as these exercises are low impact. You may need to look at lower limb biomechanics, running style, training practices etc. to prevent recurrence of the shin splints .

 

2. Shin splints – Chronic exertional compartment syndrome

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is defined as increased pressure within a closed fibro-osseous space(like the space the tibia and fibula), causing reduced blood flow and tissue perfusion(perfusion is the process of a body delivering blood to a capillary bed in its biological tissue), which subsequently leads to ischemic pain(pain due to restriction of blood supply, and thus oxygen and nutrients to tissue) and possible permanent damage to tissues of the compartment. The syndrome is frequently bilateral (both legs). Typical features of the condition are absence of pain at rest, with increasingly achy pain and a sensation of tightness in the shins upon exertion. Symptoms usually resolve or significantly dissipate within several minutes of resting. Anyone can develop the condition, but it is more common in athletes who participate in activities that involve repetitive impact, such as running. Sometimes Chronic exertional compartment syndrome may respond to deep tissue work and myofascial release of the structures involved. Changing your chosen activity to one involving less impact may also help. Surgery may be used as a last resort to relieve the pressure. It involves operating on the inelastic tissue encasing each muscle compartment (fascia). Methods include either cutting open the fascia of each affected compartment (fasciotomy) or actually removing part of the fascia (fasciectomy).

 

Shin splints – Medial tibial stress syndrome

 Medial tibial stress syndrome is an inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your tibia. A common cause of Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is pes planus (flat feet) or over-pronation of the foot during running. This puts increased strain on the Tibialis Posterior and soleus muscles leading to chronic traction at their insertions onto the periosteum on the posterior inner border of the tibia, producing pain in this area. Mild swelling in the area may also occur. The pain may be sharp and razor-like or dull and throbbing, occurring both during and after exercise, and aggravated by touching the sore spot. Initial treatment involves rest, ice, analgesics. Again switching to low impact activities such as swimming or cycling can keep a sports person active during recovery. For treatment, the entire calf should be assessed. The use of myofascial release techniques along with proper hands-on deep tissue work concentrating on thickened muscle fibres of the soleus, flexor digitorum longus and tibialis posterior adjacent to their bony attachments can prove effective. Dry needling and electro-acupuncture can also benefit recovery. Arch supporting orthotic insoles designed to reduce impact forces, correct flat-footedness and overpronation during running can help prevent recurrence and facilitate recovery by offloading affected structures. For some more information click here.

Dead leg

A ”dead leg”, also known as ”charley horse” or ”quadriceps contusion”, is essentially an injury due to a traumatic blow, crushing the quadriceps muscle against the femur bone. The quadriceps is the muscle at the front of your thigh. The injury can be either intermuscular or intramuscular. Treatment depends on the type of contusion and grade in severity of the injury. An Intramuscular contusion occurs when the muscle gets torn within the sheath surrounding it. This causes the initial bleeding to cease within hours due to increased pressure within the muscle. However, the fluid and blood is not able to escape from the muscle sheath surrounding it resulting in considerable loss of function and a lot of pain. This can take days or weeks for a full  recovery. You are unlikely to see any bruising with this type of contusion, especially in the early stages. In the case of intermuscular contusions, the muscle as well as part of the sheath surrounding it gets torn. This results in a longer bleeding time initially, especially if there is no use of ice therapy. The patient usually recovers faster from this type of dead leg, as the blood and fluids can easily flow away from the injury site. Bruising is often present in this type of contusion.

Grading

• Grade 1: Quadriceps pain, tightness in the thigh and a limp while walking. The swelling is very mild and so is the pain. The patient has almost complete range of motion upon stretching.
• Grade 2: The patient is not able to walk properly and limps when walking. There is some swelling present and the patient will experience bouts of pain upon activity. There is pain upon extending the leg against resistance. Pressure on the site also produces pain and the patient is unable to completely flex the knee.
• Grade 3:The patient has severe pain with obvious swelling, and is unable to walk without the help of crutches. Muscle contraction produces an obvious gap or bulge. This type of dead leg needs at least a month or two to completely heal.

Treatment

• I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
• Rest is very important and the limb should be kept elevated as much as possible.
• Compression and ice therapy should be applied for 15 to 20 minutes every hour for the first 24 to 48 hours. Ice should be wrapped in a wet towel to prevent ice burns. A compression bandage should be worn 24/7 to reduce swelling and to give support until the pain has subsided.
• Crutches should be used if required.
• Never apply heat therapy(that includes having a hot bath…Do not) or perform deep tissue massage in the initial acute stage (24 to 48 hours) of a dead leg injury. This can aggravate the injury or lead to myositis ossificans later. Sports massage to help recovery should be started once the acute phase (24 to 48 hours) of the injury has passed, provided it’s not an intramuscular contusion(This may need more time to settle and sometimes requires medical intervention).
• Gentle stretching of the area should be done after the acute stage (24 to 48 hours) has passed, but not before, provided it does not cause too much pain. The stretch should be held for 30 seconds and should be repeated 4 to 5 times in a day. With severe (grade 3) intermuscular contusion there should be no overpressure with passive stretching for 7-10 days.

 

When Can Exercises Be Started?

• For dead leg of grade 1 contusion of quadriceps, strengthening exercises can be started as soon as the pain has subsided. Patient should start with mild exercises and should move on to difficult ones as the dead leg pain.
• For dead leg of grade 2 contusions of quadriceps, strengthening exercises should be started after a week or so. Patient should start with gentle warm up exercises and finish with good stretching exercises. Strengthening exercises should be continued for several weeks. Strengthening exercises should be started more than a week later and for grade 3 contusions of the quadriceps.
• Gentle exercises such as cycling or swimming are nice gentle strengthening exercises to start with.

 

Myositis Ossificans

The more severe a contusion, the greater the risk of development of Myositis Ossificans, especially with poor treatment and management. In this condition calcification occurs within the healing hematoma(swelling of clotted blood within the muscle). The healing hematoma forms bone within the layers of affected muscle. Symptoms include overnight and morning pain, as well as pain on muscle contraction. It may be possible to feel a hard bump or ‘woody’ lump within the affected muscle tissue.  Stiffness and loss of knee range of movement are also common.  Sometimes surgery is required to remove the calcified tissue.

Physiotherapists in Tralee

Early referral – Why it is so important – Physio in Tralee

You have been getting treatment for back pain from your physio, chiropractor or osteopath, twice a week for the past four weeks. Each time you lie there for the first fifteen minutes with a hot pack while somebody else is being treated at the same time. The therapist pops in, has a brief chat, does a quick manipulation, reassures you of your improvement, then books you in for your next appointment. You leave wondering if you are really getting any better, but console yourself with the fact that the practitioner told you that you are.

Recently a client told me a story of where they endured a situation like the above for six months. Finally they decided to go to a doctor, who referred them for an MRI. The results showed a stress fracture to one of the lumbar vertebrae of the spine. In this case the treatments had been exacerbating the condition, and what was needed was rest and immobilisation.

Spinal Manipulations

Also manipulations, generally speaking, need to be done only once. They are used mainly to open a locked joint. A decent amount of soft tissue and myofascial work should be done by a physio beforehand to open up and relax the area. Otherwise the joint may revert to its locked position again shortly after the physio has manipulated it. Also as a general rule there should be a noticeable improvement in a clients condition from physio treatment to physio treatment. To illustrate the importance of early recognition and referral by your physio, let us look at a few more sinister conditions that present as back pain, requiring referral to a doctor or specialist.

Differential Diagnosis

Spondylitis; Ankylosing spondylitis is a condition where there is chronic inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints. This causes pain and stiffness in and around the spine, including the neck and back. Over time this condition can lead to a complete cementing together (fusion) of the vertebrae, a process referred to as ankylosis . Ankylosis causes loss of mobility of the spine.

Spondylolysis; A common cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes. It can be seen on X-ray and is a stress fracture in one of the bones (vertebrae) that make up the spinal column. It usually affects the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back, and less commonly the fourth. If the stress fracture weakens the bone too much the vertebra can start to shift out of place. This condition is called spondylolisthesis.

Spondylolysthesis; Spondylolisthesis is a condition whereby one of the vertebra of the spine slips forward or backward on the next vertebra. Spondylolisthesis can lead to deformity of the spine as well as a narrowing of the spinal canal (central spinal stenosis) and compression of the exiting nerve roots (foraminal stenosis). Spondylolisthesis is more common in the lower back but can also occur in thoracic and cervical spine.

Arthritis ; various types including spondylitis, reactive arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile onset spondyloarthritis, enteropathic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica etc. can all present as back pain.

kidney stones ; can cause back pain

.Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis means porous bones. It is a silent disease that usually goes undiagnosed until a bone fracture occurs. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being turned over. Bones need normal sex hormones, calcium, vitamin D, adequate calories, proteins and weight bearing/strengthening exercise to keep them healthy. As we get older, more bone is lost than is replaced, but people with Osteoporosis lose more bone than people who do not have the disease. This causes bones to become more fragile and break or fracture more easily.

Various cancers ; pancreatic, liver cancers etc. can cause back pain.

ovarian cysts ; Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs or pockets within or on the surface the female ovary. A large ovarian cyst can cause abdominal discomfort and a dull ache that radiates into the lower back and thighs.

Spinal stenosis ; This is a narrowing of spaces in the spine causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. About 75% of cases of spinal stenosis occur in the low back. In most cases, the narrowing of the spine associated with stenosis compresses a nerve root, which can cause pain down the leg.

Basically what I am saying in this article is that if your condition is not improving from physio session to physio session you may need to go back to your doctor for further investigation. Just keep it in mind. A good physio will probably have already referred you.

Thoracic outlet syndrome is a disorder that occurs when the blood vessels or nerves in the space between the collarbone and first rib (thoracic outlet) become compressed. This can result in any of the following symptoms ; 1. pain in your shoulders and/or neck , 2. numbness / pain / tingling down the arm and / or in a finger / fingers. Common causes include physical trauma, i.e. car crash ; repetitive injuries from job or sports related activities; anatomical defects (such as having an extra rib); poor posture( protruding neck / rounded shoulders); and pregnancy.

You may notice symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome if your job requires you to do a repetitive movement continuously for long periods, i.e. typing on a computer; working on an assembly line; or lifting things above your head. These repetitive activities tend to tighten up neck and shoulder muscles. Athletes, such as baseball pitchers and swimmers can also develop thoracic outlet syndrome from the years of repetitive movements.

Obesity can put an undue amount of stress on your body structures and joints leading to the development of thoracic outlet syndrome. Carrying around an over sized bag or backpack or having somebody sitting on your shoulders for long periods, say at a concert can compress nerve structures etc. and lead to the condition. You may suffer symptoms during pregnancy as muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints come under strain. This is as a result of the release of the hormone relaxin around week twelve of pregnancy, and also due to the increase in bodyweight.

The two most common types of thoracic outlet syndrome are:

1. Neurogenic (neurological) : This form of thoracic outlet syndrome is characterized by compression of the brachial plexus ( nerves coming from the spinal cord (neck). This network of nerves controls muscle movements and sensations in the shoulder, arm and hand. This is the most common cause of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Signs and symptoms include:
• Numbness or tingling in your arm or fingers.
• Wasting of muscles through which the compressed nerve travels; either in the arm or fingers or both.
• Pain in the neck , shoulder or hand.
• Weakened grip in hand / loss of strength in the arm.

Treatment : Often if neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is caught early, deep tissue work on neck, shoulders and arm to loosen out tightened muscles; joint mobilisations / manipulation of the cervical and thoracic spine; electro acupuncture along the affected nerve pathway; postural correction exercises, can usually bring great relief within one or two treatment sessions. If the condition is chronic ( i.e. there a month or months), it may take more time for the irritated nerve to settle. You may need to lose weight if obesity is the cause of your thoracic outlet syndrome.

2.Vascular (venous or arterial): This type occurs when one or more of the veins or arteries are compressed in the area between the collarbone and first rib.
Signs and symptoms include:
• Discoloration of the hand (bluish colour).
• Arm pain and swelling, possibly due to blood clots.
• Blood clots in veins or arteries in the upper area of your body.
• Lack of colour in one or more of your fingers or your entire hand.
• Weakened or no pulse in the affected arm.
• Cold fingers, hands or arms.
• Arm fatigue after activity.
• Numbness or tingling in your fingers.
• Throbbing lump near your collar bone.
• Weakness of arm or neck.

Treatment : For vascular (venous or arterial) thoracic outlet syndrome…you need to consult with your doctor. This condition may require thrombolytic medications, anticoagulant medications or surgery.

 

 

Back Pain Treatment Options Made Simple

Three very common causes of back pain presenting in clinic are 1. muscular, 2. discogenic (from a disc), 3. locked facet joint. We will look at each and the relevant back pain treatment options.

Muscular back pain

For the low back a common muscle to cause trouble is the piriformis muscle (see diagram). It is involved in hip rotation movements so if it tightens you lose rotation putting pressure on the lower back during activities. When the piriformis muscle tightens it may also squeeze on the sciatic nerve which travels from the lumbar spine  down the back of the leg causing pain anywhere along the nerve path(low back, hamstring, calf, sole of foot). Tightened hamstrings may also contribute to low back pain(often resulting from being seated for long periods) making the spine do more work due to resulting poor posture in lifting etc.

The piriformis muscle can usually be worked out and loosened  with deep tissue massage.  The hamstrings can also be worked if these are contributing. Electro-acupuncture also helps loosen the muscles/trigger points and settle nerve irritation in affected areas.

Locked Facet joint back pain

This is a common cause of back pain in the upper thoracic region(along back of the rib cage)…Often the person feels like somebody is sticking a finger into their back when they inhale deeply. Also with this condition a person may find that they can turn completely in one direction but not the other. In more serious cases pain may shoot down the arm due to nerve entrapment/irritation. A locked facet joint may also occur in the lower back sending nerve pain down the leg. The crack you hear when the back is manipulated is locked facet joints opening, it is not a ”slipped disc” being put back into place. A timely spinal manipulation done correctly, with a little soft tissue work done thereafter can often sort this condition. With the manipulation you get a little crack if the facet joint was locked, as it opens, giving immediate relief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discogenic (Disc) related back pain

This is a more tricky one. Probably most common in the lower back (lumbar region). The patient will sometimes present with their spine all twisted off to one side in a sort of ”S” shape. This is usually because the disc bulge or protrusion is touching a nerve. The body compensates for this by trying to get the disc away from the nerve, hence the ”S” shape. Also there will be muscle spasm as the body tries to protect itself. A patient with this condition is usually in a lot of pain and even simple tasks like walking can be excruciatingly painful. Disc pain is less common in the thoracic region but again here it presents with deep unrelenting pain.

There is no such thing as a ”slipped disc”, it is just a misnomer. Discs basically bulge, degenerate(collapse) or herniate(a little fluid filled sack can protrude or leak out of them)(see diagram below). It is when this bulge or protrusion touches a nerve, the trouble starts.

Basically a muscle relaxant (valium) from your doctor along with an anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) for a couple of days usually helps a lot.  Usually two treatment sessions along with the medication to loosen out the muscles will also reduce pain and improve recovery time. A manipulation to open any locked facet joints may help as the condition settles.

When a disc touches a nerve it initiates a series of reactions including muscle spasm and inflammation. The medication is very important in this condition and the combination of the both muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory seem to complement each other along with treatment. Things such as ”Mckenzie technique” and ”nerve glides” can also help when introduced at the right time during treatment but require too much detail to go into here.

Once the condition settles it is important to 1. Train your body to engage its core. 2. Strengthen your core muscles with pilates type exercises, along with developing your core fitness. 3. Lose weight if you are overweight. 4. Try and improve your flexibity.

Once you get somebody moving, loosened out, give them a proper rehab routine and they are taking the medication, it is more about giving the body time to heal itself than anything else. Basically what you are trying to do with initial treatment is to relax any muscle spasm, reduce inflammation, reduce pressure on the disc with the more long-term goal of strengthening the body in the hope of bringing back in the disc bulge/ protusion enough from the nerve it is touching, so that symptoms subside. If there is little improvement in your condition after a week, an mri may be required to get more accurate information on the injury.  In some cases an epidural or surgery  may be required.

Please note the above article only lists some common causes of back pain.

Back pain treatment in Kerry –  phone 086-7700191

 

 

 

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is the name given to pain in the front part of your foot under the heads of your metatarsal bones ( ball of foot, just before toes). It is usually worse when standing or walking etc.  and occurs most frequently in the second, third/or fourth metatarsal joints or isolated in the first metatarsal joint. Metatarsalgia usually comes on gradually over some weeks rather than suddenly. The affected area of your foot may also feel tender on palpation by your physiotherapist.

Causes

Common causes identified by physiotherapists include:

• Pes cavus or high arched foot.
• Excessive pronation of the foot(foot rools inwards ie. with flat foot).
• Clawing or hammer toes.
• Tight extensor tendons of the toes.
• Prominent metatarsal heads.
• Morton’s foot – here there is a shortened first metatarsal, which results in an abnormal gait putting increased pressure on the second metarsal.
• Over doing it in athletes such as runners and tennis players etc. can lead to inflammation in the joints due to the pounding they receive.
• Being overweight puts extra stress on many areas of the foot including metatarsals.
• Wearing high heels – forward force on feet increases the pressure on metatarsal area.
• Having tightened calf muscles or poor ankle flexibility – this affects the normal gait pattern.
• Poorly fitting or tight footwear can squeeze the metatarsal joints causing friction , inflammation and poor gait.

Treatment

Simple measures can help to relieve the symptoms of metatarsalgia. These include:

• Resting with your feet elevated where possible.
• Losing weight if you are overweight.
• Wearing supportive shoes that are well fitted, low-heeled and have a wide toe area.
• Metatarsal pads and orthotic inserts for your shoes may help to relieve pain in your forefoot by reducing the pressure placed on the heads of your metatarsal bones.
• Physiotherapy may also be helpful. This may include stretching out the spaces between the metatarsal and mobilising the joints of the foot or performing deep tissue massage to loosen your calf muscles or any other lower limb muscles that may be contributing to poor gait. Sometimes if a metatarsal head has dropped it can be manipulated back into place. Pain relief as a result of this mobilisation, when effective can be immense and long lasting.
• Simple painkillers such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories(NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may help to relieve pain.

 

Plantar Fasciitis – Foot Pain

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the connective tissue on the sole of the foot(the plantar fascia). It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia, the tendons that help form the arch of the foot , running from the heel along the sole of the foot towards the toes. The plantar fascia  basically acts as shock absorber for the foot during movement while helping maintain the arch of the foot during standing. Plantar fasciitis is easiest treated when caught early. Longstanding cases often demonstrate more degenerative changes in the tissue than just inflammatory changes. This condition is called termedplantar fasciosis and can be much more difficult to treat.

While plantar fasciitis is often attributed to overuse in  athletes, among non-athletic populations it is associated with a high body mass index in combination with  long periods of weight bearing( Mc Poil et al. 2008).  Also people with flat feet or high arches tend to be more at risk.  A Flat foot tends to put increased strain on the origin of the plantar fascia at the heel (calcaneus) as the plantar fascia attempts to maintain a stable arch during the propulsive stage of the gait(walking, running etc.). Excessive movement of the forefoot in relation to the heel  during movement can also predispose to plantar fasciitis. In people with high arches there may be excessive strain on the heel due to the foots limited range of movement and thus a decreased ability to adapt  to the ground during movement.

Plantar fasciitis is commonly also associated with tightness in the calves, hamstrings and gluteal regions. Muscles in these areas have a significant effect on gait and thus foot biomechanics . Biomechanics is basically the science of movement, so when you here the phrase ”poor biomechanics” used it is basically referring to inefficiency during movement.

With the condition the pain is usually gradual in onset and felt on the medial aspect of the heel. Initially it is worse in the morning and decreases with activity, often aching afterwards. Periods of inactivity during the day are generally followed by an increase in pain as activity is recommenced. As the condition becomes more severe, the pain may be present when weight-bearing and worsen with activity.

Treatment

Effective treatment uses a multifaceted approach which may involve some or all of the following ; the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), deep tissue massage of the plantar fascia and along with deep tissue work to loosen out the calves, hamstrings and gluteal regions where necessary, stretching exercises for the plantar fascia(DiGiovanni  et al. 2003) and calf muscles, avoidance of aggravating activity, biomechanical correction with orthotics, electro-acupuncture and cold compression of the heel bursitis, strengthening exercises for the intrinsic muscles of the feet(Dyck and O’Neill ,2004), taping the heel into inversion (short term solution)( Radford  et al. 2006),  changing to proper supportive footwear containing well supported arches and midsoles (Yamashita, M.H. 2005). In extreme cases when all else has failed corticosteroid injections may be considered if there is a bursitis in the heel (Crawford et al. 1999) with surgery used as a last resort. This condition is usually resolved swiftly by an experienced practitioner without the need for surgery or corticosteroid injections.

 

 

Physiotherapist based in Tralee , Co. Kerry and open 7am to 11 pm weekdays, 7am to 2pm Saturdays.Please ring 086-7700191 anytime to make an appointment. We also specialize in proper deep tissue massage.

 

References

Crawford, E., Atkins, D., Young, P. et al. Steroid injection for heel pain: evidence of short term effectiveness: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology 1999;38(10):974-7.

DiGiovanni, B.F., Nawoczenski, D.A., Lintal, M.E. et al. Tissue-specific plantar fascia-stretching exercise enhances outcomes in patients with chronic heel pain. A prospective randomized study. J. Bone Joint Surg. Am. 2003;85-A(7):1270-7.

Dyck, D.D., Boyajian-O’Neill, L.A. Plantar fasciitis. Clin. Journal Sport Med. 2004;14:305-9.

McPoil, T.G., Martin, R.R.L., Cornwall, M.W. et al. Heel pain – plantar fasciitis: clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability, and health from the orthopedic section of the American Physical Therapy Association. J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 2008;38(4): A1-18.

Radford, J.A., Landorf, K.B., Buchbinder  R. et al. Effectiveness of low-dye taping foe the short-term treatment of plantar heel: a randomised trial. B.M.C.

Yamashita, M.H. Evaluation and selection of shoe wear and orthoses for the runner. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Clin. N. Am. 2005;16:801-29.