Course Overview

Shin splints is a repetitive stress injury characterized by strain or inflammation of the anterior tibialis or other anterior compartment muscles of the leg. The site of injury may be the muscle, the tendon, or at the attachment to the periosteum and bone. The patient presents with pain and tenderness along the anterior lateral aspect of the leg just lateral to the tibia. Shin splints is the common term for anterior tibial stress syndrome. It is a frequent sports injury, as it comprises approximately 60 percent of all leg pain injuries. In this webinar, Whitfield Reaves will discuss the injury with its relatively easy diagnosis, assessment, and treatment techniques. This case is clearly Stomach meridian pathology, and sometimes the zang-fu organs are involved. It is an important injury to learn as a practitioner, as even walking and hiking can produce the symptoms. This series was introduced in 2011 in standard definition, and reflects the evolution of sports acupuncture at the time. It is based upon single individual sports injuries and each course provides simple and direct video for first time viewing. Additionally, it assists to increase precision through repetition and review. Even if you have taken the newer HD series, Mastering the Treatment of Injury and Pain, this older series is still an excellent resource for review and is filled with clinical gems.

Course Objectives

• To perform manual muscle testing of the anterior compartment-- resisted dorsiflexion-- as part of the assessment procedures.
• To use palpation in order to diagnose shin splints.
• To know two non-local treatments that may be used in the treatment of the shin splints.
• To describe the needle technique on the local zone of ahshi points between the tibia and the anterior compartment muscles.
• To diagnose the shin splints from analysis of the patients signs and symptoms.
• To know location and needle technique for the motor point of the tibialis anterior.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 15 minAnatomy of the anterior compartment: Location, action, and indications for all local and adjacent acupuncture points; Stomach 36, all points below Stomach 36, Lanweixue; Review of the anatomy.

15 min - 30 minClinical assessment of shin splints: Common western diagnosis — Tendinopathy, tendonitis, strain (tears), tendo-periostitis. Understanding signs and symptoms referral pattern of the tibialis anterior, signs and symptoms of the shin splints, signs and symptoms of the anterior compartment syndrome. Orthopedic testing for the tibialis anterior; Manual muscles testing, passive stretch.

30 min - 45 minDemonstration of assessment: Demonstration of palpation of the anterior tibialis; Demonstration of point location; Demonstration of palpation of the attachment zone medial to the Stomach meridian.

45 min - 1 hrsDemonstration of technique: Needle technique of Stomach 36 and Lanweixue (the belly of the muscle, motor point, trigger point); Needle technique for threading along the lateral portion of the anterior tibia.