Persistent Shin Splints

[GAR42]

I am a PT patient. I have been diagnosed with MTSS/ Periostitis/Shin splints. I have been non responsive to any therapies for 1 and 1/2 years. I have a very involved history, but in summary, I started with bilateral calf pain in March '06. Calf pain mostly resolved, but medial shin pain persists. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday, September 4. The tech showed me my tibia where it lines up with healthy tissue around my knee. As she moved the wand south, the area surrounding the tibia all turned black, because there was no signal response. The tissue had all seperated from the tibia. She said she had never seen periostits this bad. She went and summoned the Dr. who gave me the number for a surgeon.

I have been off my activities for a year and a half. I used to play indoor basketball 2x/week. Now, I do no impact exercises of any kind. I am in the middle of my 5th course of therapy. I have had two pairs of orthotics. I am not overweight (6'2"/185#) and I use heat, ice and HEP with no relief. What can I do? I had ASTYM which seemed to work in the short term for the fibrosis (or whatever was going on) but did not help with the inflammation or the attachment of the muscle sheath to the tibia. What modalities are there that can help this? Is there anything else short of surgery? Do you have experience with post surgical patients and, if so, what is the course of recovery.

I appreciate your help.

[ginger]

refer to post in MSK/outpatients section