Hey everybody, it's Doctor Jo. I've had a lot of people asking me about Posterior Shin
Splints. So today I'm gonna show you how to do some stretches and exercises for posterior
shin splints. Let's get started.
Now I already have some exercises and stretches for anterior
shin splints. And those are on the outside of the leg. Now posterior shin splints, you
would think kind of in the back. But the pain you feel is really on the inside front here.
So it's a little bit lower because the posterior shin splints actually come around that little
bump there and then come up towards the back of the leg. So you feel the pain here verses
here. So basically the stretches you would do would be the opposite of the anterior stretches.
So the anterior stretches you usually go out this way, so the posterior your kind of gonna
go out this way. So the first one is gonna be kind of a soleus stretch which is the muscle
underneath your calf, but to push it inwards when your stretching to get that posterior
tibialis stretch in there as well. So just starting off, your gonna put the foot you
want to stretch in the back and the one in the front the knee's gonna be bent a little
bit. Try and keep your feet forward. And then you're gonna go forward and the bend the back
knee as well. That's gonna kind of activate stretching that soleus stretch. So once you
bend your knee a little bit, then you're gonna bend you knee inward to get that stretch.
I feel that stretch on the inside through there so it's kind of a combination move.
You're gonna bend that back knee and then turn the knee inwards for a stretch. So that's
a pretty strong stretch. You don't want it to hurt, you just want to feel a lot of tension.
So again, bend the knee forward, turn that knee in and hold it for about 30 seconds.
Then you're gonna do 3 of those. Coming back out. The next one kind of a more exercise
type thing is gonna be the foot drag. Now again with the anterior, you go on the outside.
With the posterior you're gonna turn outwards so your big toe's on the ground and then just
kind of drag forward for a foot drag. So kind of steady yourself and then just drag, and
don't pull up the mat as you go. So again, not putting a lot of pressure through it cause
you're probably gonna be pretty tender there, but just turning it inwards there and pulling
through as you stretch. And then as you get feeling better, then you can put a little
more pressure downwards and slide it forwards. So the next stretches are gonna be down on
the ground. For the next stretch, you're gonna get down on the ground on your knees. Now
again with the anterior stretch, you're turning your foot it, but with the posterior stretch,
you're gonna turn your feet out with your big toes kind of on the ground. If you wanna
just do the one you want to stretch, that might be a little more comfortable and then
you're just gonna sit back onto your leg. So you're getting that inner stretch in there.
Now if you want more of a stretch go ahead and do both of them and that will get more
of a stretch in there. Now remember it's probably gonna be pretty uncomfortable and so you might
just be able to get to here when you feel the stretch and then eventually you'll be
able to work your way back. But try and hold the stretch initially for 30 seconds and do
that 3 times. You might want to stretch both anterior and posterior if you can. So sitting
back one way, and then switching, and sitting back again. For the last stretch, it's just
gonna be a general calf stretch because all those muscles kind of come around together.
I like using a strap to stretch out my calf. So you want to put the strap at the balls
of your feet, not just at your toes, not way down, but right there at the balls of your
feet. And then pull to get that stretch. So you're not actually bringing your foot back.
You're using the strap to stretch. So just holding that stretch about 30 seconds and
then relax. And then pull again. If you want to get a little more stretch on the inside,
you can turn your foot out slightly and then do that stretch as well. If you don't have
a strap, you can also use a dog leash or a belt and do the same motions. You can even
use a long beach towel if you have one of these and you just roll it up. So there you
have it. Those were your stretches and exercises for your posterior shin splints. If you have
any questions, leave them in the comments section. If you'd like to check out some other
videos, go to AskDoctorJo.com Don't forget to like us. And remember, be safe. Have fun.
And I hope you feel better soon.