Shin Pain or Shinsplints Caused By Driving

Driving and shin pain happens to many people. Fortunately relief is easy to get with just a few minutes of focused energy.

If you drive long distances you are repetitively straining the muscle that runs down the outside of your shin bone. The muscle called tibialis anterior, spanning from below your knee, along your shin bone and inserting into your arch.  It can become so tight that the fibers will begin to pull away from the bone, a condition called “shinsplints.”  This is a painful condition and is so easy to fix.

Treatment for Shin Pain and Shinsplints

To find the muscle, press your fingers on the thick muscle that is just to the outside of your shin bone. Pick up the front of your foot, and then press down, like you are applying pressure to your gas pedal.  You’ll feel the muscle contracting under your fingertips.  As you are driving for hours, the muscle can get so strained you’ll have shin pain all the way to the front of your ankle.

There are several treatments for this muscle. You can use the Julstro Perfect Ball, or a tennis ball which is less effective but will work. Place the ball at the top of the muscle, just below your knee. Then press down hard and slide all the way to your ankle. Curling your toes as shown will help stop the feeling of a cramp in your arch.

You’ll find a tender point about mid-way down the muscle, it may even feel like a bump.  This is the common site of the spasm that is shortening the muscle fibers and causing them to put pressure onto your shin bone. Keep pressing your lower leg into the ball until it doesn’t hurt any longer.  You’ve gone a long way to releasing the tension in the muscle and eliminating the pain.

My book, Treat Yourself to Pain Free Living, or the Lower Body DVD, demonstrates how to do the treatments easily. If the muscle is really tight the treatment will be a bit painful, so only apply enough pressure that it “hurts so good.”  You’ll be so glad you took the time to stop and work out the tension in your leg, it will make your trip a lot more pleasant!

Wishing you well,

Julie

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8 COMMENTS
Picture of Linda

Linda

Very helpful info. My doctor confirmed shin splint condition today. I drive 5 hours on one day and 3 times per week.

Picture of Julie Donnelly

Julie Donnelly

Hi Linda,

I’m glad it helped you. Do you have my book, Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living? The self-treatments are in that book. I suggest you do everything for the lower leg as you are repetitively straining each of the muscles that cause this pain whenever you drive. I drive many thousands of miles every year, and I carry a Perfect Ball in my pocketbook so I can treat the muscles at night when I’m finally off the road.

Wishing you well,
Julie

Picture of Mike

Mike

i fell in work on my elbow causes a break to my radius and to cracks going up in to my joint of my left hand the pain still aHi, I was wondering if you could include an illustration or a video showing how this is done? Thankss bad as the day i done it even after taking the cast off , im haveing phyios but my wrist lockes the hand shakes and the pain so bad never hand this till i started phyios why is it happening

Picture of Julie Donnelly

Julie Donnelly

Hi Mike,

Sorry for the delay in my response, I was traveling and couldn’t get on the computer while I was gone. Do you have my book, Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living? The treatment is in that book. I’m in the process of updating old blogs because I wrote a lot of them before I knew anything about SEO, etc. I’ll revise this blog and you’ll be able to see the pictures. It’s really easy, and makes a HUGE difference. In fact, just today I was talking to an elderly gentleman who was limping, and when I checked the muscle that was causing the problem, it stopped the pain within just a few moments!

Please let me know how this works for you.

Wishing you well,
Julie

Picture of Dan Goldstein

Dan Goldstein

I have a similar pain that starts in the shin, but as it gets worse it goes to the front and back of the knee?

Picture of Julie Donnelly

Julie Donnelly

Hi Dan,

I’m appalled to see that you wrote a comment almost a year ago and I’ve only just received it today! I apologize for this unacceptable error. How are you now? The problem is likely more than just the muscles that cause shin splints, I would suspect that it is coming from a contraction in your popliteus muscle. I’ll be sending you a direct email explaining the situation, and I’ll also be sending you a copy of the treatment as it is demonstrated in my book, “Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living.”

I have a new webmaster who is finding all the glitches in my website, so please feel free to post again in the future.

Wishing you well,
Julie Donnelly

Picture of Kelley

Kelley

You just saved my night!

Picture of Julie Donnelly

Julie Donnelly

HI Kelley,

I’m appalled that your message is almost a year old and I’m only just seeing it for the first time today! I’m normally so much better at responding to people, so this is just unacceptable to me.

I’m so happy that my post was able to help you, and hopefully it is still helping you. To apologize for this oversight I’m going to send you the self-treatments for your lower leg.

Wishing you well,
Julie

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