Taping Shin Splints

Shin splints is a motley of various extremely painful conditions of the shinbone or the front part of the leg. Shin splints include muscle pain, muscle strain and sprain, inflammation around the shin, tendinitis and stress fractures. Pain is the biggest symptom of shin splints which occurs at the outer leg or below the knee region. Most of the time, shin splints tend to occur after a session of rigorous exercise or a dancing session. The person might not feel the pain when it starts but it starts to pain as soon as he stops the movements of the leg. Athletes, runners and dancers are often prone to be afflicted by shin splints. Taping shin splints is one of the better ways of alleviating shin splint pain and minimizing the chances of aggravating the damage.

Taping Techniques for Shin Splints

Shin splints can cause pain along the whole shinbone or to certain overstressed parts of it. For instance, one can feel pain deep in the back of the leg, at the front of the leg or on the sides of the leg. Minor cases of shin splints can get effective results from taping shin splints. There are various taping techniques for shin splints that are used for different parts of the leg. Here are the common taping techniques for shin splints.

Lateral Taping
This method is practiced to reduce the pain which is caused at the sides of the shinbone. This technique of taping shin splints involves wrapping the tape around the back of the leg and inside the ankle. Bring the tape to a 45 degree angle, up to the mid calf region and cut the tape. You need to repeat the same action four more times. Make sure to have four wraps and all the previous wraps must be slightly overlapped by the next one.

Longitudinal Arch Taping
Longitudinal arch taping for shin splints supports the foot arch and reduces stress of the shinbone. For arch taping shin splints, place the tape just near the big toe and start wrapping it in the outward direction, which is towards the baby toe. Continue the process under the foot and finish the wrapping at the starting point. Make sure to have four wraps and all the previous wraps must be slightly overlapped by the next one.

Anterior
Anterior taping eases shin splint's pain in the front part of the leg. Anterior taping goes in exactly the opposite direction of the lateral taping. For anterior taping, start at the front of the ankle and go around the back of it but in the outward direction. Bring up the tape to 45 degrees and repeat the wrap four more times. Make sure that all the previous wraps are slightly overlapped by the next one.

Combination Taping
As the name suggests, this method of taping for shin splints involves combination of either lateral and anterior taping or a combination of lateral, anterior and arch taping shin splints. This taping technique for shin splints provides better support to the foot arch and adds to the comfort level. Make sure to make four wraps and all the previous wraps must be slightly overlapped.

How to Tape Shin Splints

Here are a few tips. For that use a sports tape and make sure that the leg is totally hairless before you start taping.

• Bend the leg and extend two pieces of the sports tape towards the shinbone region. Make sure that it starts at the ankle and ends just below the knee.
• Place a few small pieces of the tape diagonally across the first two pieces of the tape. Make sure that the entire front part of your shin is covered with the tape.
• Add two more pieces on the diagonally placed pieces of the tape, to ensure that all of them stay in place for a longer period of time. Now add the final layer by placing the tapes horizontally across the front part of the shinbone.

Kinesio Taping

By far, kinesio tape is supposed to be the best for taping shin splints. There are various brands of kinesio tape available in the market but the key is to learn the proper technique for taping with kinesio tape, irrespective of the brands. Here are some easy instructions for kinesio taping. Along with kinesio tape you may also need a duct tape and a pair of scissors.

• At first, stretch the leg and point the toes. Now place a rounded piece of tape on the spot that hurts the most. Take two 6-inch straight pieces of the tape and place them above and below the centerpiece of the rounded piece of tape.
• Take an 18 inch long piece of the kinesio tape and wrap it around the leg. Start wrapping at the top of the foot and then move around the perimeter of the leg as well as under the foot arch. Secure this wrap with the duct tape.

It is important to use a waterproof kinesio athletic tape so that you can keep it in place for a few days, to get the maximum results. It is also important to consult a physiotherapist before applying any techniques of taping shin splints on your own.

Remember that taping can be a complementary cure, and you will also need proper amount of rest, special shin splints exercises and appropriate medical intervention to extinguish the pain completely.