The Treatment of Shin Splints Using Cold Laser

What Are Shin Splints?

Did you just stop your morning run short because your shins were hurting? Or maybe it happened in the middle of your salsa dance class…that pain on the side of your shin that just keeps getting worse. You may have a common sports injury condition called shin splints.

Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome, or MTSS) are an inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your tibia, or shin bone. It often comes on gradually, consisting of pain over the inside lower part of the shin bone. It is an injury caused by “overuse” of the legs, otherwise referred to as “doing too much, too soon”. The pain can be extreme enough to halt workouts. affecting active individuals, especially younger athletes, or those who are new to an activity.

Shin splints seem most common among those who participate in explosive or pounding sports like gymnastics, football, track, basketball, cross-country, and tennis. It is a stress or strain to the muscles and tendons as they attach to the tibia.

Up until now, the treatment was mostly a palliative course of rest, ice, gentle exercise, stretching, and physical therapy, but more modern treatment options are readily available.

Shin Splints Now Treated with Cold Laser Therapy

A class IV cold laser is very effective for treating pain and inflammation in large muscles, and in smaller tendons. Because of this, it can relieve the pain of shin splints.

The way the cold laser works:

• It produces specific wavelengths and frequencies that can help block pain and inflammatory molecules. Once the injury is less painful, it responds better to active therapies and treatments.
• Different wavelengths of the laser help to accelerate repair and the regenerative process within the muscles and tendons.
• Laser wavelengths stimulate the formation of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in humans, and play a critical role in wound healing.
• These fibroblasts help to lay down more collagen fibers for support and increase tissue strength. Increased collagen fibers allow muscles and tendons to absorb more force. This is especially helpful when people return to their previous exercise levels, and begin straining their leg muscles again.

Cold lasers are the newest and most popular low-level laser treatment for therapy. Because of their multiple wavelengths, they can be used to treat different regions of the body.  The different wavelengths offer variable energy settings for use in different areas of the body. For instance, leg muscles require different settings then the large muscles of the lower back. These newer Class IV lasers have a greater depth of penetration, and produce more energy per minute that previous lasers. That means faster, more effective treatment.

If you are experiencing the pain and discomfort of shin splints, call Delaware Back Pain & Sports Rehabilitation Centers at 302-730-8848 to make an appointment for treatment. We have seven convenient locations to serve you in Delaware: Wilmington (2 offices), Newark (2 offices), Middletown, Smyrna, and Dover. You can count on us to provide expert care, and get you back on track. We are specialists in pain management, chiropractic care, rehabilitation therapy, and more. We’ll get you on your feet again.