All
rest and no work ...
 |
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Shin
splints can occur because the bones and muscles of
the legs are subjected to immense loads during running,
especially when running on hard surfaces, long distances
and down hills.
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Many
ADF members do not realise the long-awaited Christmas leave
period may be a high risk period for setting up an injury
in the New Year.
The
long-awaited rest from regular exercise can be a double-edged
sword. Fitness levels decrease within the first week of
not exercising and the physiological adaptive processes
that allow your shins to cope with the loads applied to
them also begin to diminish.
What
this means is that next year when PT comes around again,
your body, and in particular your legs, may not be prepared
for the loads applied to them. This situation can then lead
to the development of shin pain.
By
doing some regular exercise over the leave period, injury
risk in the New Year can be reduced.
What
is shin pain?
The
blanket term of "shin splints" encompasses the
main subgroups of conditions that affect the section of
leg between the knees and ankles. Common causes of shin
pain include stress fractures, compartment syndrome, chronic
muscle strain, or any irritation of the nerve or blood vessels
of the lower leg. Most of these conditions are generally
avoidable through sensible training.
Training
and overuse
The
bones and muscles of the legs are subjected to immense loads
during running, especially when running on hard surfaces,
long distances and down hills. In the normal situation the
body is able to adapt to a gradual increase in the stresses
produced by exercise. This increases muscle strength and
bone resilience.
Although
the human body has the capability to achieve the adaptations
described above, inadequate transition time may contribute
to the development of an overuse injury.
The
shins are a prime example of an area where this situation
frequently occurs. Faulty biomechanics, poorly fitting or
old footwear, increased body weight, changes in running
surfaces and rapid increases in running distances can all
contribute to an imbalance between what the shins are prepared
to accept and the stresses applied to them.
Avoiding
Injury
By
maintaining your level of fitness and exposing the body
to regular stresses you are more likely to maintain those
positive training effects and thereby minimise the risk
of injury when you return to work next year.
In
summary
The
take-home message is that you shouldn't waste all the hard
work you've put in the past year to improve your fitness
and adapt your body to physical stresses. Consider utilising
cross training to modify the normal loads of your training
and keep body weight down.
The
follow-up of maintaining your fitness over Christmas leave
should then be a graded and progressive return to exercise
in 2004. A build-up period will still be needed to return
to the fitness levels of the year, to ensure your body is
ready to accept the loads of training and reduce the risk
of developing an overuse injury.
