Shin Splints Diagnosis & Assessment
Video explaining how a professional therapist may assess and diagnose shin pain.
Shin Splints Assesment
Assessment of any injury should include questions concerning the patients general health, previous injuries and current injury. The aim of these questions is to determine what may be causing the pain and what treatment is appropriate.
The therapist will then physically assess the ankle and lower leg using a variety of methods, including:
Observation
The therapist may look at the lower leg, paying particular attention to the position and movement of the foot. Having fallen arches, overpronating or oversupinating are common contributors to developing shin splints.
Palpation
The therapist will palpate, or feel, the muscles of the shin. In cases of shin splints the muscle just to the inside of the shin bone (tibia) will be tender to touch. The therapist may also feel that this area feels quite lumpy.
Ankle Range of Motion (R.O.M)
The therapist will look at the range of motion at the ankle joint. They will usually get the patient to move the ankle through all of its movements by themselves before asking the patient to relax, allowing the therapist to move the ankle. In shin splints, there may be pain when the therapist pushes the foot down (stretching the shin muscles) and when the patient actively points the toes up. Dorsiflexion (pointing the toes to the ceiling) will often be limited, indicating tight calf muscles.
The therapist should also look at the position of your feet, looking for overpronation or oversupination. They may do this in standing, walking or even running. There are numerous other tests and assessments that the therapist may choose to perform, these are the most commonly used in cases of suspected shin splints.
Other conditions which must be ruled out when assessing suspected shin splints include stress fractures and anterior and posterior compartment syndromes.
