How to Treat Shin Splints With a Ball

Shin splints are caused by the overuse of muscles and tendons in the lower leg. Students taking up a new sport, coming back to school and participating in fall sports, or who are beginning an interest in sports in general may all suffer from shin splints during the beginning of their sports conditioning. Shin splints have been treated in the past with gels, creams, massage, ice, heat, stretching, and low-impact exercise. Massage ball treatment is fairly new, but it shows promising results, especially when combined with stretching and low-impact exercise.

Things You'll Need

• Massage ball
• Exercise mat

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Sit on an exercise mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your legs or feet should not be crossed. If you don't have an exercise mat handy, try folding a blanket or towel into a mat. The extra cushion makes the exercise more comfortable, allowing you to relax more thorougly when necessary.

• 2

  Bend your knees, pulling your feet closer to you. You should be able to easily reach your shins, and the soles of your feet should be flat on the floor.

• 3

  Hold the massage ball against your shin at the place where you have the most pain. This is generally just to the side of the shin bone.

• 4

  Cup your hands around the ball as it rests against your shin, holding the ball in place. Use both hands for best results, cupping the ball as you might cup a handful of water or sand.

• 5

  Exhale, while letting your leg relax completely. The toe of your foot should sink toward the floor.

• 6

  Inhale while applying pressure to the ball as it's pressed against your shin splint. Tense your muscles as you apply pressure to the massage ball. Your toes should lift and your calf muscle should be tense. Hug your leg against you, with the ball positioned, and use as much pressure as you can apply without causing pain. There might be some mild discomfort, but there should be no actual pain.

• 7

  Exhale while releasing the pressure on the massage ball, allowing your toes to sink toward the floor once more.

• 8

  Repeat Steps 3 to 7 at least 10 times for each shin affected by shin splints. Repeat the process every day, until the shin splints have disappeared.