If you are not familiar with Dit Da Jow I recommend reading some of the other articles posted on this website. Briefly Dit Da Jow is a Chinese herbal liniment consisting of herbs that move Qi and stagnated blood which is crucial for healing any injury. By applying this liniment to the injured area you start the process of Qi movement.

In Chinese Medicine Qi and blood flow together, when they flow uninterrupted you are pain free, when they are blocked then pain is evident. Qi can get blocked from a blow to the body, inflammation, excess heat and dampness and a variety of other reasons.

Using Dit Da Jow helps unblock the stagnation and allows Qi to move freely, how does that help stop shin splints with Dit Da Jow? First lets discuss shin splints in detail.

Shin splints or in medical terms Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is pain generally located on the outer edge of the mid region of the leg next to the shinbone (tibia). An area of discomfort measuring 3-7 inches (10-15 cm) in length is frequently present. Pain is often noticed at the beginning of a workout then lessens only to reappear near the end of the training session. Shin splint discomfort is often described as dull at first. However, with continuing trauma, the pain can become so extreme as to cause the athlete to stop workouts altogether.

The pain associated with shin splints is caused from a disruption of Sharpey’s fibres that connect the medial soleus fascia through the periosteum of the tibia where it inserts into the bone.With repetitive stress, the impact forces eccentrically fatigue the soleus and create repeated tibial bending or bowing; thus, contributing to shin splints. The impact is made worse by running uphill, downhill, on uneven terrain, or on hard surfaces. Improper footwear, including worn-out shoes can also contribute to shin splints.
Sharpey’s fibers (bone fibers, or perforating fibers) are a matrix of connective tissue consisting of bundles of strong collagen type fibers connecting periosteum to bone. They are part of the outer fibrous layer of periosteum, entering into the outer circumferential and interstitial lamellae of bone tissue.

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine aka TCM has had great success with treating Shin Splints with Dit Da Jow and massage, acupuncture or electrical stimulation can also be combined with the Dit Da Jow as it is able to reach the Periosteum and in TCM move the Qi and stop the inflammation.

Shin Splints is synonymous with anterior or medial tibial stress syndromes, tendoperiostitis, tibial periostitis and tibialis tendinitis, all of which denote varying degrees of soft and bone tissue changes.
It is an over-use injury and inflammatory condition of the tibia or fibula in which micro tears develop in the muscle’s  myotendinous junction (where the muscle connects the tendon)  located along the bone shaft. If you have read any other articles on authentic Dit Da Jow you know healing micro tears is achieved quickly with multiple applications due to the power of the herbs to move Qi and blood.

The repetitive action of dorsiflexion/plantar flexion pulls the muscle away from its attachment on the bone causing periostitis. This condition is commonly seen when a runner increases mileage, changes to a harder running surface or adds hill running. Pain usually begins shortly after the onset of running and can last into non-activity days.

Types of Tibial Stress Syndrome

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome involves the tibialis posterior muscle and often occurs in individuals who are moderately to severely pronated (collapsed medial arch or flat
feet), thus placing tension on this posterior muscle and tendon. Pain and tenderness are generally found on the posterior medial aspect of the tibia.
Anterior Tibial Stress Syndrome involves the tibialis anterior muscle. This muscle is responsible for 80% of foot dorsiflexion and acts as a strong decelerator for plantar flexion.

Frequently, anterior shin splints arise in runners over-training on hills since both uphill and downhill running requires repetitive firing of the tibialis anterior muscle.

Symptoms are usually worse while running downhill as the tibialis anterior is responsible for slowing down the forefoot after heel strike (eccentric contraction). Consequently, a tight Achilles tendon may be found in this syndrome, resisting proper range for the tibialis anterior to function and leading to friction and inflammation.

Pain and tenderness are generally found medial to the Acupuncture Stomach channel St 36(Shown Below) on the anterior edge of the tibia between the tibialis anterior muscle and bone.

Treatment with Dit Da Jow

By applying and massaging certain areas of the lower leg we can speed up the healing process significantly. The trick is to apply the Dit Da Jow to the motor points and a few acupuncture points, the illustration below are the main motor points where the Dit Da jow should applied liberally.

 

Position of the motor points in the lower leg muscle

A) Tibialis anterior (blue circles,proximal motor point; yellow
circles, distal motor point)
B) Peroneus longus
C) medial(blue circles) and lateral (yellow circles)Gastrocnemii. (C is a rear view)

Next we apply to specific acupuncture points, they are as follows:
Zusanli ST-36,
Yanglingquan GB-34
Yinlingquan SP-9

Illustrations below

 

In addition applying the Dit Da Jow with massage to these acupuncture points will be very helpful.

 

Diji SP-8
Taixi KID-3
Feiyang BL-58
Ququan LIV-8
Taichong LIV-3

By massaging these points with Dit Da Jow you are helping release the Qi  so it can flow thru the meridians for fast recovery from shin splints. One must remember if you are using improper shoes for your running or training then your relief will be temporary, one most try to find the root of the problem to make sure it does not return.

You can order Ready Made Dit Da Jow below

4 oz Bottle Of Dit Da Jow Liniment

Before starting any natural health regimen with herbs, we advise checking with a licensed doctor or herbal practitioner.