Sports Insoles: How They Can Help Your Shin Splints and Improve Performance

Sports Can Cause Serious Foot Problems Including Shin Splints

If you love to run or taking part in organized sports, you're at risk for shin splints, knee pain, Achilles tendonitis, and other lower body injuries. Medial tibial stress syndrome, as it is referred to by the Mayo Clinic, is a pain that goes down the length of the shin bone and is caused by undue stress on the bones, muscles, and ligaments of the lower extremeties. This stress can be caused by by running activities in any setting and can be exacerbated by fallen arches and insufficient support of the arches.

Many leading sports therapy experts recommend using ice, taking a break from running or sports, and using proper shoes, preferably in conjunction with orthotics for sports. Applying ice to the shin and supporting structures of the lower leg help ease pain while decreasing the amount of inflammation immediately after an injury. Rest is always suggested because it allows for the repair of tendons, muscles, and bones. Finally, wearing proper shoes can drastically help avoid re-injury to the lower legs and feet by providing proper cushioning and foot arch support. This promotes proper foot arrangement and resists shock. Sports orthotics can significantly enhance performance and endurance because they supply foot arch support and extra cushioning. For people with fallen arches, these special orthotics for sports raise the arch properly and rebalance the feet.

Over-pronation due to fallen arches can cause more than just shin splints to occur. Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, knee, ankle, and low back pain, as well as Achilles tendonitis can be attributed to fallen arches. If orthotics for sports are not utilized during strenuous activities, reinjury and major foot pain can ensue. The mechanics involved in these ailments are connected to the plantar fascia tendon, which is the central structure supporting the arch of the foot. It is an elastic structure that lengthens to absorb the shock triggered when the foot carries our body weight during sports activity. In people with fallen arches, this tissue is too long and has lost its ability to elongate. Its ability to absorb shock has been severely diminished. This situation also causes excess pronation of the foot, or the propensity for the ankles to roll toward the center of the body. The weight of the body is then oddly concentrated on one region rather than being evenly distributed over the entire area of the foot. This is the reason why sports orthotics can be of utmost importance in cases of fallen arches and other foot conditions; they provide structural stability and cushioning in the proper spots.

Many people suffer from pain caused by having flat feet. Footminders orthotics, shoe inserts and arch supports are recommended by many podiatrists to relieve problems caused by flat feet.