Lower leg injuries

Batsmen’s shins are protected from the ball by pads, but they are not protected from shin splints, caused by running on a hard pitch.

The biggest risk factors are overtraining, indoor surfaces, and poor shoes/boots. Beginners are also at increased risk because they are not used to the high impact running has on the muscles and joints of the lower leg and foot.

Risk factors:

•  Running on hard surfaces
•  Excessive pronation
•  Improper stretching
•  Lack of warm-up
•  Training too hard
•  Increasing mileage too quickly

Symptoms:

• Pain on the inside “front” side of the shin with weight-bearing activities
• Lumps and bumps over the bone
• Pain when the toes or ankle are bent downwards, inwards, or upwards
• A  redness over the inside of the shin

If the pain is on the front outside of the shinbone, it might be anterior compartment syndrome, which is a more severe problem that may require referral to an orthopaedic surgeon.

Another common injury is a calf muscle strain, which can be caused by overstretching, twisting, high force calf muscle contractions, or by being hit in the back of the leg by a cricket ball. Chronic strains are usually the result of overuse, with causative factors higher up that kinetic chain, even as far as the lower back.

An acute strain is caused by trauma or an injury, such as a blow to the muscle, or overstressing (overstretching/over activation) the calf muscle. Chronic strains are usually the result of overuse - prolonged, repetitive movement of the muscles, and local or higher-up biomechanical problems.

Contributing factors include inadequate warm up, lack of flexibility, fatigue and insufficient strength.

The calf muscles consist of the gastrocnemius muscle, which is the big muscle at the back of the lower leg and the Soleus muscle, which is a smaller muscle lower in the leg, below the Gastrocnemius.

Content reviewed and enhanced by Dr Joe de Beer, a well-known orthopaedic specialist, and T-J Malherbe, a physiotherapist. Both are from Cape Town.