Sports-related injuries are common for athletes. Because their body works harder than usual, they might encounter a few pains and struggles from time to time. For soccer players, shin splints are a common injury.
The shin is a large muscle located in front of your legs. Shin splints occur when the muscle becomes injured due to overuse or impact. It is a debilitating and painful injury that may send a player off the field for a while. However, the injury can be easily avoided as long as you know which parts of your body to protect while at play.
Causes of Shin Splints
Shin splints manifest after overuse. It is also common in other sports or activities, such as running and jumping. Unsurprisingly, the boots play a significant role in the development of shin splints. Improper footwear may cause the alignment of the foot to burden the shin muscles, causing injury. As such, shin guards are ideal accessories to help protect the shin muscles.
Aside from shin guards, compression socks are also ideal for protecting the shin. They offer more elasticity, preventing obstruction without restricting circulation. Compression socks also provide support to the muscle tissue, which can prevent shin splints from developing.
Factors That Cause Shin Splints
Aside from the gear used in sports, there are other factors that contribute to the development of shin injuries. Most of them are environmental factors, such as uneven surfaces. But understanding these factors should inspire athletes to train and play more cautiously to avoid getting injured.
1. Method of Training
Players are accustomed to many training methods. They also tend to know how to position themselves to avoid injuries while at play. However, in instances where new training methods are introduced, players tend to adjust their bodies to the new training methods, and their bodies may suffer those changes.
Besides the new training methods, players may also injure their shin if there is an increase in frequency or intensity in their new training routines. Since the beginning of soccer training season is the most crucial, their bodies are usually at risk of strain. Strain may lead to injuries if not taken care of.
2. Uneven Surfaces
The environment players train on also contribute to their safety. For soccer players, training on uneven surfaces can lead to shin splints. It is dangerous to abruptly step on uneven surfaces, especially after a long time of not training at all.
3. Inflexible Muscle
Meanwhile, other factors may include issues within the player’s body such as misalignments, muscle flexibility, weakness, and instability. All are factors that lead to painful shin splints. Therefore, proper warm-up and cool-down sessions are important before and after training.
Conclusion
Besides keeping a healthy body, soccer players should also be aware of the dangers of the game. Preventing injuries like shin splints requires attention as it affects an important part of the body.
To prevent shin splints, it is vital to wear proper footwear and shin guards to protect the shin from possible injuries. If possible, it’s best to follow a strict routine during training, including warming up and cooling down before and after training. You must also avoid playing on uneven training surfaces. Since soccer requires a certain degree of contact, protecting the shin should be every player’s priority.
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