Shin splints are a common injury in sports and exercise. The most common cause is overload on the front of the tibia (shin bone), which inflames the connective tissues that attach the lower leg muscles to the bone. Some symptoms are pain along the front of the tibia, bumps along the inside of the tibia, pain with pointing your toes downward and sometimes swelling. Shin splints can be painful, but with proper treatment, you can continue your activity.
Step 1
Spray your lower leg with tape spray. This will help the tape to stay in place when you start to sweat.
Step 2
Wrap your leg, starting at the ankle, with pre-wrap to protect your skin. Wrap about ½ inch above where you want the tape to stop.
Step 3
Wrap the tape around your leg starting just above the ankle. Start in the middle of your tibia and move toward the outside of your leg, then around the back and meet up the ends. Tear the tape at this point; you only want to do one loop at a time. Overlap the next loop by half of the first and repeat. The lower leg is a cone shape, so your loops should look like an inverted "v" when they come together in the front of the leg. Continue your loops until you reach the top of the part of your shin that is painful. Do not tape any higher than you have to.
Tips and Warnings
- If the athletic tape is too unforgiving, substitute a more flexible stretch tape. If you have pain in your calf, cut a small slit in the back of your tape to allow your calf to move better.
- Do not wrap too tightly around your calf. The tension is meant to be in the front of your lower leg. If your pain does not improve in a reasonable amount of time, see a doctor before continuing activity.
Things You'll Need
- Tape spray
- Pre-wrap
- 1½-inch athletic tape
