IADMS Miami 2000   [back to the Category]

Shin Splints: A Symptom of Decreased Efficiency of the timing of Neuromuscular Organization: An Awar   [read the french version]

Author :   Reuven D. Ofir Ph.D., P.T.

Author: Reuven D. Ofir Ph.D., P.T., Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, New York, NY, USA

Shin splints are a common problem among athletes, particularly runners, and among dancers. The pain accompanying this condition can be moderately annoying and can also be disabling. For a runner or a dancer this can be a serious obstacle in the pursuit of professional excellence.
The pain of shin splints arises from a combination of periosteal pain resulting from incessant pull of muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg tugging on the sensitive periosteum through Sharpey’s fibers and the partial relative ischemia due to the compression forces of these high tone muscles. The underlying mechanism of this condition is faulty timing in the reversibility of muscle contraction/relaxation between agonist/antagonists – ankle flexors/extensors and knee flexors/extensors. The person suffering from this condition is only aware of the pain, but is unaware of the their own body actions leading to the pain.
I will present a sample awareness through Movement® Lesson of the Feldenkrais Method® which will illustrate:
How awareness of self-image in action is a powerful tool for prevention of injuries.
How seemingly local events (ankle/leg) are connected and related to the whole soma.
How differentiation of movement improves the efficiency of common standard movement.

This is the abstract of a paper presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, held 27-29 October 2000 in Miami, Florida, USA. All rights are reserved by the individual author(s).