Shin Splints?

Shin Splints seems an odd name.   Unlike most other medical terms, no sexier/more medically accurate term has ever been created to call this malady.

I mean, sure, it happens at the shin, which seems to be a rather antique name unto itself.  For the uniformed, the shin is the front part of the lower leg.

And "splints." I've never known where that comes from.  And I pride myself on understanding word origins and that sort of thing.  No idea.

Generally speaking, Shin Splints are used to describe any persistent pain along the front part of the leg between the knee and ankle. 

Treatment has been limited and largely ineffective.  Treating the local pain with ice is the most common method but does nothing about the underlying cause of the problem.

The underlying cause of the problem?  The way the foot hits the ground.

Shin Splints are one of those things that I don't see in the clinic much.  Most people just resign themselves to the pain.  Ice and ibuprofen take the edge off so treatment usually stops there.

No, this is one of those problems that I will discover when I notice one of my athletes limping.  I'll ask them what is wrong and they will reply "Shin Splints."

Or where someone stops me and finally asks if there is anything that can be done.

Let me take a commercial interlude and say for the record that I never mind being stopped and asked my medical opinion outside of the clinic.

I get stopped lots. In the middle of the grocery store.  At a restaurant.  In the bike shop that I spend lots of time (and too much money) in. 

If you know me really well, you know that my desk at Total Rehabilitation-Cherokee is actually on a countertop between the rehab side and the fitness center.  I prefer it that way so that people can easily ask for help or my opinion on what they are doing or their injury.

I am always flattered when someone asks my opinion.  When the day comes that that stuff bothers me, I'll quit.  Go home.  Retire (there...I said it...a word I generally abhor).

When somebody comes up and asks me about the pain in their shin, I generally ask "just how flat are your feet?"

Because the two are completely related.  People with flat feet that insist on running will often get Shin Splints. 

And people with an arch but who are "pronators" get them.  And those with a really high, really rigid arch get them too.

For you see, the problem is impact forces.  The force transmitted up the leg when the foot hits the ground.  The flat foot doesn't dissipate those forces well.  Neither does the high rigid arch. 

The solution?  Fix the way the foot hits the ground.  Most often with an Over-The-Counter arch support but occasionally with custom orthotics.

And let me add that it isn't a problem that should be ignored because those same impact forces can lead to a stress fracture in the main lower leg bone (the tibia).

Why We Play Sports

When tragedies like what just happened in Paris and what happened in New York City in 2001 do happen, we question a lot of things.  I can remember after 9/11 there was debate whether sporting events should go on.

Games were cancelled. Plans were changed.  Respect was shown by those that played and those that didn't.

So among those things we question is one big one--Why do we even play sports?

It would seem that the time energy that we put into sports might be put to better use elsewhere.  The billions we spend on sports could feed the hungry and shelter the homeless everywhere.

I am of the opinion that sports are essential to our health and well-being. That we are much better off because of the games we play.  Why?

We play sports for the exercise.  You've heard me say it here before.  My kids always had to play something.  I cared less what it was than that it was something.

We know that active children become active adults.  And a huge portion of the health problems plaguing this country today are the result of inactive adults. 

Beyond that, I believe our bodies are made to move.  Our systems benefit from exercise-both mind and body.

We play sports for the competition.  For the thrill of victory.  To test ourselves against others. 

Competition, oh much maligned competition (think about t-ball games without keeping score), how important thou art.  Competition tells us more about ourselves.  It teaches us our strengths and weaknesses and lets us build better selves through that knowledge.

We play sports for the friends we make.  Maybe the best friends we will ever have.  There is something about being a part of a team that stays with us.  Working together toward a common goal is an enormous learning experience.

We play sports for the applause.  Go ahead and admit it.  The roar of the crowd or the praise of peers and parents is something we seek.  Maybe we even need it.

We play sports for those that can't.  For our parents, who maybe can't anymore.  For those that were never able to.  We play to entertain.  How else do we fill these huge stadiums?

We play sports for the beauty of movement.  We are made to run and jump and dance and move.  And yes, I would argue that we are meant to block and tackle and throw a ball through a hoop.  There is something inherently beautiful about a swing and a hit.  Or a nice throw.  Or simply running across a meadow.

Yes, we must play sports.

Martial Arts & Fitness

In 1995, I worked the national championship tournament for Tae Kwondo in Colorado Springs.  It was my second martial arts competition.  The first was a couple of years earlier when I worked the Judo competition at the Tennessee Sportsfest.

I've always had a passing interest in martial arts but have never really followed up on that interest.  I do recall that the Colorado Springs tournament gave me the opportunity to hang out with Nitro of American Gladiator fame.

Brad Hatcher of Hatcher Martial Arts became a friend many years ago, partly because of his injuries.  

Brad, who was winning international competitions when most were long-since retired from competition, has remained competitive and, yes, occasionally injured.

Which means we get to stay in touch.

His dojo/gym, which maintains a cadre of dedicated members, some of which have been there for 20 years or more, is something of a local institution.

To many folks, the first things that come to mind when they think of martial arts are fighting, mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, or the movie Karate Kid.

MMA is hot right now due in no small part to the emergence of a female athlete, Ronda Rousey.  She is the sport's current superstar in a sport that has always been totally dominated by its male participants.

It is fierce competition and definitely all about fighting.

And in the Karate Kid movie, the end of the movie is (no spoiler alert needed surely) victory for Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.

But martial arts is not about all that at all.

I liked the movie Karate Kid.  "Wax on, wax off" became the catchphrase used to describe many tasks that had an ulterior purpose.  It was about a whole lot more than a kid finding a father figure and beating the bad guy in the end.

Daniel (from the movie) answers it all when Mr. Miyagi asks him why he is doing karate:  "So I won't have to fight."  Mr. Miyagi's answer was "Miyagi have hope for you."

That's part of it.  Self defense.  I know that Brad has taught self-defense classes for years. A lot of those are for women who might not have to be so fearful of going out alone.

I know that martial arts training is also great for self-discipline.  I've seen lots of kids that lacked discipline or even any measure of self-control get into martial arts and become model citizens.  Their behavior not only improves but so do their grades.

What you usually don't think about when you think of martial arts are the fitness benefits.  Spar with someone for two minutes and you'll know what I'm talking about.

I talk a lot about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT--CrossFit is one type).  Components of martial arts training are definitely HIIT.

If a typical gym isn't your thing and running, swimming, or biking seem like terminal boredom, you might check into one of the local dojo's. 

But a little advice:  It is all about the teacher.  If the emphasis is on fighting, you might want to look elsewhere.

Parent Lessons

Right outside my clinic, beside where I park my truck every day, is the most gorgeous tiny maple tree you have ever seen.    Every time I see that little tree, I pause.  Maybe it's to think about my problems.  More often, it's to reflect on my blessings.

My mom is going through some pretty serious health issues right now and time for reflection seems aplenty.  I find myself wandering to the lessons that my parents taught me.

One came to mind this week when I spilled some coffee and a kind patient offered to clean it up for me.  "Nope.  I was taught to clean up your own messes."

That got me to thinking about all those lessons. "If you did it, you fix it."

I wish Congress would figure that one out.  They should have listened to my momma.   We would have a lot fewer messes that way.

I was always taught that anything worth doing was worth doing well. 

When I was about 12, I built my own treehouse.  My dad, who couldn't help, sat at the bottom of the tree in a lawn chair and supervised.

He could tell when I didn't drive a nail all the way in, content just to beat it in crooked.  He insisted that I pull that nail out, straighten it, and do it again, this time correctly.

There are life lessons to be learned in that.

I was taught to always finish what you start.

That's a rule that a lot of parents have.  I've heard it from lots of folks.

Usually it is interpreted as a mandate that once you commit to playing on a team, you have to stick with that team until the end of the season.  I think that can be a pretty shallow way of looking at things.

I know of at least one circumstance where it just became impossible for a young athlete to continue on his team.  This young man went through summer camps and team workouts but soon after the season started decided for all the right reasons that he could no longer continue.

His situation was untenable and continuing just wasn't a good idea.  He instead focused on his other sport and did quite well there.

No, finishing what you start to me is more a commitment to self.  A commitment to excellence in all that you do. 

My own rule was that you had to play some sport (and make good grades and be happy).  It didn't matter what it was.  In my family, that wasn't an issue as my kids played everything.

Finishing what you start means staying committed to the Big Three: Exercise, Education, and Excellence. 

When I was high school, my mom would send me off to school by saying "you tell those girls at that school that you're the best looking boy in school."

I wasn't but moms need to tell those lies.

Remember the Titans

This week, I listened raptly as Coach Herman Boone gave the keynote address at the FCA banquet.  Coach Boone was the real life coach of the T.C. Williams High School Titans upon which the movie Remember the Titans was based.

I guess those around me were wondering what the heck I was doing scribbling furiously in the margins of the program.  But I knew then where my next column was going.  I was inspired by Coach Boone.

"Give legs to your dreams."

Coach Boone came from poverty.  He came from a family that could not support his dreams but that didn't get in the way.  He dreamed of graduating from college and coaching football. 

Fortunately for him, he had more people telling him he could do it than were telling him he couldn't.

It's all about providing opportunities for kids.  Opening doors.  Supporting dreams. 

Growing up, my parents made sure I had opportunities. Sports.  Boy Scouts.  Camps.  Visits to museums and national monuments and Civil War battlefields.  Music teachers and positive influences.  Church, always.

I was never NOT going to college.  It simply wasn't an option.  Bad grades were not acceptable.  Not working was unacceptable.  Doing chores was not optional.  Being accountable was expected.  You finish what you start.  Everything you do gets your best effort.

Through all that and more, my parents helped give legs to my dreams. 

"Never ever rest until your good gets better and your better gets best."

I talk often about sports providing life lessons.  Sports do that and more.  Sports build character.  

When you get beat down, and at some point you will, if you get back up better, stronger, and smarter, you have just built character.  You have built strength into your soul.

"Leadership means did you make a difference in a teammate."

We need to constantly lift each other up.  Take those negative influences in your life and give them a toss. 

"If you thought Remember the Titans was a football movie, you weren't paying attention."

Many of those at the banquet could not comprehend a world where blacks drank in one fountain and whites in another.  They cannot fathom blacks having to go in the back door of a restaurant and then not being able to sit down but having to take their food out back and eat in the alley.

They can't imagine seating in a theater where blacks sat in one area (usually the balcony) and whites sat in another (usually the front). 

But three members of that 1971 Titans team, Julius Campbell, Petey Jones, and Blue Stanton sat there and told about those days.  Told of the days where blacks went to one school and whites to another. 

They talked about the battles of lining up side by side as teammates.  And they talked about the triumphs big and small that arrived when they became a team.

We still fight battles...too many battles.  Maybe today it matters less what color your skin is but it still matters. 

Barriers of many sizes and shapes still exist.