Body & Mind Training Center

Shin Splints

What are shin splints ?

Shin splints is not a specific injury itself but is the general name given to pain at the front of the lower leg. The most common cause is inflammation of the periostium of the tibia (sheath surrounding the shin bone).



Traction forces occur from the muscles of the lower leg on the periostium causing shin pain and inflammation.

Symptoms :

Pain and tenderness along the inside of the shin.
The pain may go after a rest period but return later during training.
Swelling may sometimes be seen but not always.
Lumps and bumps may be felt when feeling the inside of the shin bone.
A redness over the inside of the shin.


Treatment :

Treatment is simply reduce pain and inflammation, identifying biomechancial problems which may have caused the injury, restoring muscles to their original condition and gradually returning to training.

Rest to allow the injury to heal.
Apply ice or cold therapy in the early stages, particularly when it is very painful.
Stretch the muscles at the back of the lower leg.
Wear shock absorbing insoles.
Maintain fitness with non weight bearing exercises such as swimming, cycling or running in water.
Apply heat and or shin and calf support after the initial acute stage and particularly before training
A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication e.g. ibuprofen. (Always consult a doctor before taking medication).
Tape the shin to take the pressure off the lower leg.

Anterior Compartment Syndrome


What is anterior compartment syndrome ?

The anterior compartment of the lower leg is at the front of the shin, just on the outside of the shin bone. This compartment contains the muscles Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Digitorum Longus and Extensor Hallucis Longus.



The compartments of the lower leg are separated by sheaths, as shown in the picture opposite. Individual muscles are also surrounded by a sheath. Anterior compartment syndrome arises when the Tibialis Anterior inparticular becomes too big for the compartment and the sheath that surrounds it, resulting in pain. Compartment syndromes can be acute or chronic.


Symptoms :

Pain in the muscle on the outside of the shin bone
There may be obvious swelling and it might be tender to touch over the front of the shin.
Weakness or difficulty in pointing the toes up (dorsiflexion).
It might hurt or feel tight to point the toes downwards (plantarflexion) as this stretches these muscles.

If the condition becomes chronic you may experience :

Pain that gets worse the more you use it meaning you can't exercise.
Pain which eases with rest but returns every time you exercise.


Causes :

A direct impact to the front of the leg which causes bleeding and swelling within the compartment and reduces space.
An overuse injury, which causes swelling in the compartment.
A muscle tear, causing bleeding and swelling in the compartment.


Treatment :

Rest from aggravating activities like running
Apply ice and compression for 15 minutes at a time on a regular basis.
See a sports injury professional or Doctor who can treat it and give you exercises.
A Doctor or specialist may recommend anti-inflammatories e.g. ibuprofen.
They may use sports massage to reduce swelling and loosen the muscle.
A specialist can assess your foot position and correct any problems with orthotics (insoles).
If nothing works a small surgical procedure involving making two small incisions can ease the pressure.

Facet Joint Pain



The facet, or zygapophysial joints are the articulations between two vertebrae. Each vertebrae has both superior and inferior articular processes, on its left and right sides. The superior process forms a facet joint with the inferior process of the vertebrae above.




The inferior process forms a facet joint with the superior process of the vertebrae below.

Facet joints allow movement of the spine and dictate what type of movement is most extensive at that part of the spine. For example, in the lumbar spine, the joints are orientated horizontally. This allows the movements of flexion, extension and side bending, but restricts rotation.

In lower back pain problems, pain is usually chronic in nature and is caused by long-term degenerative or postural changes. Sometimes an acute period of facet joint pain occurs following a movement such as bending over or twisting. Nerve compression and inflammation of the joint are the most frequent sources of pain.


Symptoms :

•Pain, usually focused on one side of the back.
•Pain is worse when bending backwards (extending the lumbar spine).
•Pain which is worse when you bend to the painful side.
•If a nerve is compressed, pain may radiate into the buttocks or back of the legs.


Treatment :

Treatment of an acute attack should focus on pain relief :

•Rest from aggravating activities.
•Use a hot pack or take a warm bath to ease associated muscle spasms.

•Visit your Doctor or a specialist who may :
•Prescribe anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen
•Use sports massage to ease muscle tension


For longer term chronic problems, specialist treatment may include:

•Manipulations to open up the facet joint and improve movement.
•Postural correction using exercise therapy.
•Corticosteroid injections into the facet joint.

Knee Braces for Sport

It is a common sight to see not only amateurs, but also professional athletes wearing a knee brace or support. The knee is a very complex joint which is commonly injured both through a sudden force or impact on the joint, or through repetitive strains, known as overuse injuries. When running, it is estimated that forces of around 4 times an individual’s body weight are passed through the knee joint with each step, so it is not surprising that so many people choose to wear a knee brace for sport and exercise.



The reason that an individual may choose to wear a support will vary depending on their circumstances, however the main reasons include:

•Following injury
The athlete may have had a previous injury and be using the support to prevent it returning, or to help get them back into full training.
•Prevention
A knee support may be used in an attempt to prevent an injury in particularly demanding sports (such as skiing) or where the knee may be more susceptible, although nothing is guaranteed to prevent an injury!
•Reassurance
Many people like to wear something on the knee just to help reassure them and make the knee feel more comfortable and supported. This is more common in older athletes where there may be a degree of wear and tear (osteoarthritis) in the joint.


There are many different types of knee support and brace available depending on the specific injury and the amount of support required. Some braces are also not suitable for certain sports.




•Hinged Braces
These have a solid metal or plastic hinge on each side of the knee brace. They provide a high level of support to the knee and are ideal for moderate to severe injuries and sports such as skiing. They are not suitable for sports with a contact element, such as Rugby or Football, due to the potential for injury to an opponent.

•Stabilised Supports
These have a metal or plastic stay or spring embedded into the side of the support. They are more lightweight and less bulky than a hinged support, although offer less resistance against twisting and sideways movements. Provided there are no exposed solid parts, these supports can be used for contact sports. They are also ideal for sports such as Tennis and Badminton, as they are comfortable, lightweight and do not restrict movement.

•Simple supports
These have no extra reinforcement and so provide low level support, along with compression and heat retention. They can be worn for any type of sport or exercise.

•Straps/Bands
Knee straps can be worn in place of a full knee support and are particularly suitable for certain injuries, such as patella tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) and IT band syndrome (runner’s knee). Again, these can be worn for all types of sport.

When choosing a knee support for sport, it is important to consider what type of support is suitable and permitted for your sport, that it provides the level of support you require and most importantly, that it is comfortable to wear!

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is medically known as lateral epicondylitis. It is an inflammatory condition of the wrist extensor muscles, where they attach to the lateral epicondyle (bony part on the outside of the elbow, when the palm is facing forwards).




Although commonly known as tennis elbow, lateral epicondylitis occurs more commonly in people who do not play tennis. It is caused by repetitive wrist extension movements (pulling the wrist back so the fingers point upwards). The extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle is the most frequently involved muscle.

Causes :

Tennis elbow is caused by excessive use of the wrist extensors. If you do not play tennis, it may be due to an activity such as painting or DIY which you have done more than usual lately or the problem is related to overuse from another activity .
In tennis players, development of tennis elbow is usually due to poor technique, as tennis shots are generally played with a static wrist. A poor backhand is a particular culprit. Other causative factors include a grip which is too small or a racket which is strung too tightly.

Symptoms :

Pain at and up to 2cm below the lateral epicondyle.
Pain on resisted wrist extension and often middle finger extension.
Pain when pressing on the area just below the epicondyle.
Weakness in the wrist.


Treatment :

A number of treatments can be used in the treatment of tennis elbow. The most important thing however, is to make sure that whatever is causing the problem, is dealt with. For example, if it is your technique, get a coaches help to improve it. If the racket grip is too small, get a larger one. Or if the problem is related to overuse from another activity, try to avoid the aggravating movements.

Apply ice to the painful area on a regular basis for the first few days of the injury. This will help to decrease pain and inflammation.
Visit your Doctor or injury specialist who can prescribe you anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen etc).
A specialist may also use massage to loosen the tight muscles and increase the blood flow to the area to help it heal.
They may also use electrotherapy such as ultrasound.
They may advise you to wear a brace which can help to take the strain off the muscle.
Acupuncture has been used successfully in some cases.
You should also be given stretching exercises and a strengthening program to help prevent a reoccurrence.
In chronic conditions which refuse to heal using the conservative methods stated above, a corticosteroid injection may be given. This should only be given once and may only provide short-term benefits. The final option for treatment is surgery, which is used very rarely and only in very long-standing cases.

Dear Ostad Jalilzadeh, I have a medical question but I don't know if this is the right place. If I go wrong I think anyway you will move it to the proper section.

As you know, too bad I have some problems with my wrists. A light degeneration of the ligament TFCC that create a scaphoid-lunate instabilty. This means that when I punch or lift weight my bones "opens" and are not hold tight.
I was told by my surgeon that this problem is found also in people that practice contact sports, which have the wrists usually damaged by arthritis to the point that their wrists resembles those of very old people ( but they keep on fighting).
Some days my wrists are aching simply because of the weather, and this affect the way I train. Sometimes I even have to pay attention to how I do the reaction in the hands techniques, let's say "rubbing" with the forearms but avoiding to hit with the fist my upper body.

So this is my question:

I know in contact sports the pratictioners use to wrap their hands in bandages. Do you think that when I do body hardening or sparring or trying some applications of the techniques it would be better for me to use them as they do, or would it be useless?
(Of course the days they hurt I cannot do anything like this and I must avoid any impact....)

Thank you.