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Question answered:06/07/05 Warning! this question is over two years old.
The Merck Manual on shin splints discusses both anterolateral and posteromedial shin splints (1). They recommend in both instances to stop running temporarily and do other forms of exercise. Exercising to stretch the calf muscle is helpful and they offer advice on bucket-handle, toe raises and outward rolls, all types of strengthening exercises. They also note:
“An experimental treatment consists of calcoitonin (a hormone that builds bone) injected daily or alendronate (a drug that slows bone loss) given by mouth; this treatment has healed shin splints that were unresponsive to other measures”.
A 1994 RCT of 49 conscripts examined low-energy laser therapy in medial tibial stress syndrome. The authors conclude:
“No significant difference between groups regarding pain visual analog score and readiness to return to active duty after 14 days”.
- http://www.merck.com/mmhe/print/sec05/ch075/ch075c.html
- Nissen LR, Astvad K, Madsen L. Low-energy laser therapy in medial tibial stress syndrome. Ugesskrift for laeger. 1994;156(49):7329-7331
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