What is MTTS?
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, commonly called ‘shin splints’, is a condition characterized by pain in the shin, either one or both legs. It is an overuse injury from chronic, repetitive loading of the muscles in the lower leg. The pain indicates inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone of your shin (tibia). It is more common in women, runners, football players, and military members. If not appropriately treated, MTSS can cause stress fractures.
Common Signs & Symptoms
⦁ A burning, hot pain over the front or sides of the shin
⦁ Pain that increases during exercise
⦁ Pain that gets better with rest
⦁ A dull, burning feeling on the shin the day after exercise
⦁ It may be tender to the touch with mild swelling
Causes
Medial tibial stress syndrome is caused by the repetitive stress of the tendons of the lower leg muscles pulling on the shin bone (tibia). With constant repetition, the body cannot heal properly due to an overload of stress. It can be caused by high-impact activities like running, jumping, or high-volume and intense exercise sessions. MTSS can be associated with dysfunction and weakness of lower leg muscles that cause abnormal strain on the tibia and/or overpronation of the feet.
How can Physiotherapy help you?
MTSS management focuses on activity and load modification to ensure your body has time to recover after activity and reduce inflammation. Your physiotherapist will be able to identify the triggering activities and create a graded exercise regime appropriate for your lifestyle.
We can assess your gait, functional movements, and muscle strength and recommend how to prevent it from happening again. Manual therapy and modalities may help treat your pain and heal your injury.