Hey, everybody is Doctor Jo and today I'm going to show you how to relieve shin splints
with a massage gun and stretches and exercises. So let's get started.
So some of the things that can cause shin splints is overpronation in the foot.
Also repetitive movements like jumping, or running, and also excessive hip movement. So when
we get into the stretches and exercises, I'll show you some stuff to help with that. So the massage
gun that I'm going to be using today is the Mebak 3, and if you're interested in purchasing it,
you can click on the link up there. So I'm going to start off with using the softer ball for a more
superficial surface area. With shin splints, you have anterior shin splints, and posterior
shin splints. So there are different areas you can have it in either sometimes people have it
in both. This is the anterior shin splints where the anterior tibialis muscle is over
the shin here, that's probably more common to get the anterior shin splints here. But
you can also have posterior shin splints, which is more almost on the medial side or the inside
of the Foot Ankle here. And it comes all the way up in here. So really, when we're starting
to work that that's where we want to work those muscles. So I'll show you both. But when we're
doing more of a superficial kind of following along the length of the muscle long ways, I like
using this one, because you don't want to push really hard, you just want to get that kind of
nice movement in there. And so a lot of times when you're doing this, if you start lower,
it's a slower bounce, I actually like going up a little bit higher, because as you can see,
it's a little smoother movement there. And so I'm just following along the length of the muscle,
you know, all the way down here all the way up in here, but you want to stay on the muscle,
because if you go on to the shin bone, see how it starts bouncing there, and it's actually
just a little bit uncomfortable. So I'm just kind of moving along where that muscle is,
I'm not pushing hard at all, this particular massage gun actually has a pressure indicator,
and it kind of goes from green to yellow to red, saying, if you're pushing a little bit too hard,
you don't need to push hard, that's gonna do all the work for you. And when you're using a massage
gun in general, on one specific area, you don't want to stay there for a long time, maybe two to
three minutes. So then I'm going to, I'm going to stop it with this one. But then you can also do
a cross friction massage that goes in a little bit deeper. So the superficial one we were doing
that helps increase circulation to the area of cross friction massage actually helps prevent
and break up scarring if you have some scar tissue in there from some of the small little micro tears
in there. So I like using them to get a little bit deeper, the one that's almost a little more pointy
in there. And so a lot of times with massage guns in general, they come with a lot of different
heads that you can change out that have for specific areas and specific things. So if I'm
doing a little bit deeper, I want to get a little bit more. So let's say I'm a little bit tender,
right in there more than anywhere else. So I'm going to do that cross
friction massage there. So once I get going, instead of going up and down, which I still can,
I'm going to get that spot and I'm going to go side to side and I'm actually I'm going to push
a little bit more, I'm not pushing super hard, I'm not going to get where the indicators going, or I
shouldn't be pushing so far. But now I'm doing a side to side or across friction. So if this is the
length of the muscle the link this way, then I'm going back and forth, right on that area.
And I'm going a little bit deeper, I can go up and down. And that cross friction massage, some people
call it a deep friction massage is designed to kind of help break up that scar tissue in there.
So that's for that anterior, if you want to get to your posterior here,
you can again, since it's a smaller area right here, I might stick with this one.
And I'm going to go I'm pushing lightly along that muscle so it's kind of in between the bone
and in between your calf here. So I'm just going to go down most of the time, the pain is more
right in here. So if I want to stick on that spot for a little bit, and then if I want to change it
up and say okay, it's really hurting right here, I'm going to do some cross friction massage,
or down at the tendon area, do some of that cross friction massage in there. And again, you know, it
shouldn't be painful, painful, it's going to be a little uncomfortable. But don't stick to that area
for a super long time where you're just irritating that area and getting it super uncomfortable. This
should really just help loosen it up. So then you can go into stretches and exercises if you want
to. I'm showing you the stretches and exercises because you can do those without massage gum but
this is just a nice tool to help enhance all of that. So once you got everything loosened up, then
you're going to go into some stretches. So the first one I like to do is a calf stretch because
like we talked about with those shin splints, you know it's gives that pressure in there. The the
posterior one sits underneath that calf so it's nice to kind of stretch everything out because you
Want to get that pressure off that area. So you can stretch your calf a bunch of different ways,
I like to use a stretch strap, you can use a dog leash or a belt, just take a little loop and wrap
it around about at the ball of your foot there, you don't want it on your toes, because it'll
probably slip off and you don't want it to load because then you're not going to get that good
stretch. So you want to try and keep your leg is straight as you can for the calf stretch.
In, you're going to pull with the strap, you're not actively moving your toes towards you,
you're just relaxing your foot, and you're using the strap to pull and get that nice stretch
under there and that capillary. And I know even if you have those anterior shin splints up on top,
you still want to stretch the calf out as well, because that whole area is going to be tight. So
just pulling till you feel good, comfortable stretch, holding that for 30 seconds,
relax. And doing that three times to get that nice good stretch in there are some pretty easy
ways to stretch out your anterior and posterior tibialis is just sitting on the edge of something,
it can be your couch, it can be the bed, it can be a chair. And so what you want to do is for your
anterior shin splints, you're going to get the outside of your foot down on the floor.
So I'm kind of turning my foot in, that's what's going to help get that that outside area or the
anterior. And so all I'm doing is now I'm just kind of pushing my foot down into the floor,
and I'm getting a nice stretch in that area. But the key is to turn that foot outwards.
So that outer portion of the foot is what's being pushed out. And again, I'm getting that nice, good
stretch in that anterior area. And you can do a whole bunch of different stretches, I've got some
different stretches for it as well, if you want to check out some of those other videos,
but just again, holding that for 30 seconds getting that nice stretch in there. If you want to
stretch the posterior tibialis, then you're just going to turn your foot the other way, sometimes
this is a little uncomfortable for people to put might want to try and cramp up a little bit.
So don't feel like you have to push as hard for this one. And you're going to feel it if they're
tight, you're gonna feel it. But now the big toe or that first ray is down on the floor. So
going this way for anterior going this way for posterior. And now same thing, I'm just kind of
pushing the whole foot downwards. And now I'm feeling that on that inside of the shin area,
or that those Posterior Tibialis muscles right there. And so again, holding that for 30 seconds,
doing that three times taking that little break in between getting that nice stretch in there.
And then after you get those nice and stretch out, then you want to go into
some exercises to kind of work area. And so these are going to be for the hip, because
like I mentioned in the beginning, sometimes it can be your hip mobility that's causing the shin
splints. So you want to work on those areas as well. So just some super easy ones lying down.
The leg you want to exercise is going to be the one on top, this is just going to be a hip
abduction exercise, make sure to lie all the way down, I'm just kind of propped up so I can
see here. But just making sure that you're in a comfortable position don't end up getting
something else irritated. The key here is make sure your hips are kind of perpendicular
to what you're lying on. So you're not rolled back, you're not rolled forward,
you're kind of straight up and down. You can bend your bottom leg just for comfort if you want to.
I'm going to pull up my toes to tighten my leg. But I'm going to lead with my heel so my toes
are going to be almost down just a little bit. And when I come up, I'm going to go
slightly behind me that's really going to get those hip abductors. So I'm coming up, in back
and then nice and slow back down. Making sure that you're you know, comfortable that it's not
painful. But really trying to go backwards a little bit, I'll see sometimes people do this,
but that's actually not working the muscles that you want to especially if your foots turned up,
you want to turn it down leading with your heel and going slightly behind you. And then the next
one is just going to be a hip extension. So you're just going to roll over onto your stomach. Same
thing, make sure you're comfortable. If propping up is a little uncomfortable on your back,
make sure you're lying all the way down. But just same thing, kind of keep that leg as straight as
you can kind of pull up your toes to help lock them out. You want to keep your hips down for
this ha see a lot of people try and do this and they're turning their whole body. This isn't a
big movement, keep keep your hip part down and you're just lifting your leg up a little bit. It
doesn't have to be a big movement, you're going to feel the the muscles working in this exercise if
you're, if you're doing it correctly and just lifting a little bit I feel that a lot more
in my glutes than if I do that. I don't really feel very much. So nice and controlled. Doesn't
have to be super high. Try and keep your legs straight as you can, as you can. Maybe I'm bending
my knee a little bit that's okay. But getting that nice slow controlled movement. So there you
have it those four ways to relieve shin splints with a massage gun and stretches and exercises.
If you're interested in purchasing the Mebak 3, click on the link up there. And don't forget to
subscribe by clicking down there. And remember, be safe Have fun and I hope you feel better soon