Targeted soft tissue treatment for shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome). Private practice at Beverley Road, New Malden KT3 4AW. BTEC Level 5 qualified. 64 five-star reviews.
Shin splints — the aching, burning or sharp pain along the inner edge of the tibia — is one of the most common overuse injuries in runners. The pain is felt in the bone, but the cause is almost always muscular: the tibialis posterior, soleus and deep calf muscles becoming tight and overloaded, pulling repeatedly on the periosteum (the bone's outer covering) until it becomes inflamed.
This is why rest alone rarely produces lasting results. As soon as running resumes, the same tight muscles place the same load on the same part of the bone. Targeted soft tissue work on the contributing structures — the deep calf, tibialis posterior and soleus — removes that load, allowing the periosteum to recover without requiring extended rest from training.
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Tibialis Posterior
The primary driver of medial shin pain. Attaches along the inner tibia — when chronically tight it pulls on the bone with every foot strike. Releasing this muscle is the single most effective treatment for most shin splint cases.
Soleus
The deeper of the two calf muscles. Works exceptionally hard during running, especially uphill or on increasing mileage. Becomes the primary load-bearer when the Achilles complex is fatigued.
Gastrocnemius & Flexor Digitorum
The superficial calf and toe-flexor muscles that compensate when the deep compartment fatigues. Treating the whole lower leg compartment — not just the pain site — produces lasting resolution.
Treatment for shin splints focuses on the deep calf complex — tibialis posterior, soleus and the surrounding compartment — rather than the shin itself. Directly massaging the periosteum is not appropriate in the acute phase; releasing the muscles pulling on it is. Nick will assess your running load, footwear history and biomechanical patterns to identify contributing factors, then treat the specific muscles driving the problem.
You will leave with specific stretching and strengthening advice, and load management guidance — how to maintain fitness while allowing the periosteum to recover. For runners in a training block, the goal is to reduce mileage temporarily rather than stop completely, while addressing the cause so that full training resumes without recurrence.
The most common presentation — marathon training mileage increases, speed work on hard surfaces, or new runners building volume too quickly.
Shin splints and plantar fasciitis frequently co-exist — both driven by the same overloaded calf complex. Treating the calf addresses both conditions simultaneously.
Common in new runners whose calves are not yet conditioned to running load. Early treatment prevents progression to stress fracture — the outcome that can occur if shin splints are ignored and training continues.
"Having been in tears thinking my Copenhagen Marathon was over with a calf injury four weeks out, Nick was incredibly thorough. I was able to make it to the start line and finished in 3 hours 6 minutes."
"Nick helped me cross the London Marathon finish line happy and injury free. His advice was excellent, with great suggestions for avoiding injury and home stretches to keep me on track."
"Nick gets to the root of the problem every time — I always leave feeling like a completely different person."