Tag Archives: arches

shin splints

7 Ways Physical Therapists Treat Shin Splints

Ways physical therapists treat shin splints.

Here are 7 ways a physical therapist can help treat pain and symptoms associated with shin splints:

Pain Reduction: The RICE principle is the first step to recovery (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Manual therapy and Kinesiotaping may also speed up recovery and reduce swelling.

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 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.

Increase Range of Motion (ROM): Exercises for the hip, knee, ankle, and foot improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and relieve pain. A home exercise program may also be implemented.

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 proper amount of arch support.

Return to Sport: If you are an athlete, your therapist may tailor exercises that are specific to strengthening the areas needed to perform your sport. Modified use of your muscles may also be discussed and implemented. Return to your sport may be gradual to prevent re-injury.

To learn more about shin splints please visit our PTandMe injury center on this website by clicking here.

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feet cause pain

Can Your Feet Cause Pain in Your Knee, Hip or Back?

CanYourFeetCausePain_FBsize

Can your feet cause pain in other areas of the body?  Yes it can.  The foot is an arch and arches decrease compressive forces by distributing them across the span of the arch. Engineers use arches in building and bridges to hold up greater weight across longer spans.  The human foot has 3 arches that all work together to distribute the forces our bodies put on it.  This allows us to walk, run and jump.

We start running into problems when the arch is either too flat or too high – causing the forces put through the foot to be abnormally distributed, resulting in strain.

  • Flat feet limit the range of motion of our ankle, causing our hips to rotate inward and move towards the center of our body.
  • High arches do the opposite to our hip joints.
  • These changes cause strain to our ankle, knee and hip joints, and our back.

knee pain

People can be unaware that their feet cause pain throughout the body because they were born with flat feet or high arches and they do not know what “normal” feels like.   As physical therapists we have treated many children who didn’t realize that their feet are not supposed to be sore.  But instead of seeing them for prescribed foot pain, they come for pain in their joints or back.

Orthotics were developed to correct or adapt to changes in the foot.  Orthotics should be fitted by a healthcare professional trained in assessing the foot and gait.  Standing on a pressure plate in the store is not good enough.  Why?  If your foot hurts are you going to stand on it normally?  Probably not.  This results in an abnormal reading.

An orthotic by itself is not the best treatment.   A physical therapist will assess your function, strength, flexibility and range of motion.  Patients will present with other problems as the result of abnormal arches.  Treatment with orthotics combined with strengthening and stretching exercises, balance training, functional training and manual therapy is necessary to restore full function.