Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles

This summer I was honoured to be chosen along with another colleague to represent Scotland , indeed the UK, as part of the Fit Feet screening program at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

 So on the 28^th July we flew out to LA to join the Fit Feet team to get to work screening feet! The Special Olympics has provided free health screening and products to athletes for 15 years and is the largest public health organization in the world for athletes with intellectual difficulties. Healthy Athletes offers health screening in a number of key areas with volunteers from professional backgrounds including, dental, ophthalmology, podiatry, physiotherapy and healthy eating.

We were fortunate to have spent 3 full days at the Fit Feet headquarters within the very picturesque University of Southern California campus where we participated in the screening of athletes to evaluate a number of areas including; Shoe Exam and Shoe Size Measurement, Biomechanics, Joint Range of Motion & Static Biomechanics and Skin, Nail, Toe and Foot Exam from which we were able to recommend follow up care based on the review of our findings during screening.

The athlete’s attendance at the screening program was completely voluntary and for their efforts they were given a new pair of New Balance trainers. We in turn endeavored to accommodate every athlete who came to visit us by providing a seamless and rapid screening service with minimal waiting times for athletes, carers and coaches in what were quite difficult working conditions. We were in fact working in a large tent, with minimal equipment, grass underfoot and extremely high temperatures however the atmosphere between everyone was so positive and good fun that the time literally flew in!

This is easily one of the most life-changing, positive experiences I have had the privilege to have been a part of and something that I will never forget. I urge anyone who has the opportunity to get involved, you will not regret it!

Check out our blog here for some entries and pictures and if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them as best as I can.

Shin Splints - A Runner's Curse

The problem. 

Shin splints are an extremely common problem particularly in runners who are increasing their mileage or those who have just started to run. Shin splints are a soft tissue injury where the muscles that control the slow lowering of you foot at each step  (deceleration) and also help to maintain the longitudinal arch of the foot are under severe pressure from the increased, repetitive strains placed upon them.

The two main muscles involved are tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior. Most soft tissue injuries are caused by the structures either being too weak or too short to do the job you're expecting from them. So by increasing your mileage the likelihood is they're going to start to break down.

Each bone has a covering called periosteum. This lining can become inflamed in relation to the injury, this is called periostitis. Many podiatrists and other healthcare professionals see this as a precursor to higher levels of injury such as tibial stress fractures.

Can you still run if you have shin splints? 

If you MUST run, you should do so on a treadmill with a slight incline. This will work better for you as the forefoot has less distance to travel from the shin on landing and the forces will be reduced through your deceleration. Don't run downhill, this is likely to aggravate the problem. Run for 5 minutes, stop and stretch, always remember to do stretching, not strengthening at this point. Repeat the process 5 or 6 times while you have little or no pain. As you progress you can start skipping your stop intervals and be able to run for extended periods.

If, after following this advice you still experience shin pain, you should consult with your podiatrist. If you have had another from of injury it is important to rule out other causes.


Stretching. 
Assuming your pain is shin splints and hasn't developed from a problem in the bone itself, you should get great results from following these easy stretches for tibialis posterior and tibialis anterior. You should also consider 'foot control' and rule out a biomechanical factor in your symptoms. Prescription orthotics can help in many instances with range of motion limitations and other functional anatomy problems.