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Exercising the ANTERIOR TIBIALIS muscle.The anterior tibialis is the opposing muscle group to the calf muscles, so strengthening the anterior tibialis helps to stretch the calf muscles. The anterior tibialis is the small muscle group on the front of the lower leg: just to the right of the right leg’s shin bone and just to the left of the left leg’s shin bone. Its primary function is to flex the foot upward.
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Foot drop can be defined as a significant weakness of ankle and toe dorsiflexion. The foot and ankle dorsiflexors include the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus. These muscles help the body clear the foot during swing phase and control plantar flexion of the foot on heel strike. Weakness in this group of muscles results in an equinovarus deformity. This is sometimes referred to as steppage gait, because the patient tends to walk with an exaggerated flexion of the hip and knee to prevent the toes from catching on the ground during swing phase. During gait, the force of heel strike exceeds body weight, and
the direction of the ground reaction vector passes behind the ankle and knee center
This causes the foot to plantar flex and, if uncontrolled, to slap the ground. Ordinarily, eccentric lengthening of the anterior tibialis, which controls plantar flexion, absorbs the shock of heel strike. Food drop can result if there is injury to the dorsiflexors or to any point along the neural
pathways that supply them.
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A shin splint affects the outside of the shin, and is caused when the Tibialis anterior muscle, one of the muscles responsible for flexing your foot upwards, is overused during activity. A shin
splint occurs from the constant flexing of the muscle.
Other causes include:
- Flat feet, or the turning of the foot outward, which puts strain on the leg muscles.
- Tight calf muscles or calf muscles that aren’t ‘warmed up’ before exercising.
- Ill-fitting exercise/walking shoes that don’t provide proper foot support.
Symptoms:
The pain of a shin splint typically occurs during the repetitive motion involved in exercises such as walking, aerobics, jogging, tennis, basketball or other weight-bearing activities. The pain from shin splints is typically worse at the start of the exercise, and may appear to ease as the exercise progresses.
A shin splint will most likely develop when:
- You engage in an activity requiring constant pounding on the legs and feet.
- You perform the same action repeatedly, such as walking on a treadmill or just excessive walking.
Relief and Prevention:
Initial shin splint treatment involves the RICE principle: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
- Rest your leg by taking up an aerobic exercise that reduces the amount of impact on your legs, such as swimming.
- Ice the painful area: Use a frozen cup of water to rub and massage the area.
- Add compression with wraps.
In addition, be sure to follow these tips to avoid against future shin splint occurrences:
Warm up muscles before and after any physical fitness activity – including walking – taking special care to stretch the calf
muscles.
- Wear walking and exercise shoes with proper support and a good fit.
- Discard worn out shoes that have lost their support.
- Use insoles and other shoe inserts to reduce the stress placed on muscles and tendons on the front and sides of the legs.
- Strengthen the Tibialis anterior muscle by performing toe tapping or placing a weight on the top of the foot and pull the foot up repetitively.
If your shin splints don’t respond to these treatments, see a physician or podiatrist, as a shin splint can progress into a stress fracture. In addition, a similar pain is found in a condition called Intermittent Claudication. This condition is caused by poor circulation and needs immediate attention.
Information on foot, leg and lower body health
conditions provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health.
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