Shin Splints are another reasonably common running injury, though the condition does not only affect runners. There are many sports and activities which involve placing a load on the lower legs and which can lead to Shin Splints. As per the name, Shin Splint pain occurs over the shin bone or Tibia area of the lower leg. The diagram below shows a lower left leg, the larger Tibia (shin bone), smaller Fibula and part of the ankle/foot complex.

Images produced with kind permission of 3d4medical.com from Essential Anatomy 5 (Copyright © 2018 3D4Medical. All rights reserved.)
The pain may appear over a small or large area of the shin. The pain can dull in nature, though more often than not is quite sharp. In some cases, people can push through the pain in the earlier stages of the condition.However, the pain tends to become rather intense longer term stopping activity. Sufferers of the injury usually notice pain shortly after commencing exercise. Shin splints can often affect both shins too. T…

Ankle injuries can undoubtedly be one of the most problematic injuries a runner can get, though such injuries affect a lot of other people too. The simple reason being is that the foot has a significant impact on the “kinetic chain” and everything above the foot/ankle. The foot and ankle are also load bearing joint complexes, with loads increasing with certain types of activity (jumping, fast changes in direction, carrying heavy equipment). Furthermore, ankle injuries affect a wide variety of tissues within the injury area including fascia, ligaments, tendons, muscles. The most severe cases can also lead to joint dislocations and bone breakages Unresolved Ankle injuries can frequently lead to other injuries/conditions such as Plantar Fasciopathy, Achilles Tendinopathy, Shin Splints, Knee, Hip and back problems. Again, this is in part due to the “Kinetic Chain”, and the impact on unresolved ankle injury has on other joints structures and tissues. The author knows much of this all to we…

Many active and non-active people have no doubt encountered iliotibial Band (ITB) tension, at some point in their life. Excessive, ITB tension can create multiple problems within the “kinetic chain” and in particular the hip, knee and lower back. Another name of ITBS is “Runner’s Knee”, as it frequently affects runners and the knee. However, Patellofemoral Syndrome is also often called “Runner’s Knee”, and the two conditions affect different parts of the knee. Here is a link to the Patellofemoral Syndrome (Runner's Knee, Rower's Knee) article.
Some brief anatomy knowledge, yawn

The ITB is a thick band of “fascia” which runs along the lateral (outside) portion of the thigh to the knee. Fascia is a type of tough connective tissue, consisting mainly of collagen fibres, which look like candy floss, cotton wool or spider web silk under magnification. Fascia permeates all tissues within the body and provides many functions including structural and biomechanical. There are also specifi…