Playing sports is not only about having fun and winning the game, it is also a great responsibility. Part of that responsibility is protecting yourself from injury. One of the best defenses against painful soccer accidents is to wear shin guards. On average there is228,000 soccer injuries annuallywithin the United States.
If you are new to using guards, you may not understand the importance of putting them on. Also, you may not know how to wear shin guards properly. But the best way to do this is to tuck them securely into elasticated socks or fasten them with adjustable buckles.
Without proper protection, athletes are prone to shin splints. To protect yourself from injury, take a look at the information below to learn more about how to properly put on shin guards.
Shin guards and their function
Most shin guards are made of plastic and are molded into a curve to conform to the shape of the lower leg. It is important that shin guards are properly fitted and comfortable for the player. They should also allow the player to move fully.
The standard structure of shin guards consists of a front plate that serves as protection, a pad that acts as padding and a fastener to close the protection. The faceplate is the primary part of the shinguard and it is the area that actually provides protection from violent contact. It is usually made of hard plastica shell made of polypropylenebuilt to withstand a hard hit.
The rear portion of the shield guard helps absorb contact and keeps the shield from creating friction against the skin. It is generally made of synthetic rubber orEVA foamthat is glued to the front panel.
Finally, the clasp helps keep the protector securely on the lower leg. However, some shin guards do not have fasteners and are designed to fit inside stretchy football leggings.
How To Wear Soccer Shin Pads: Shin Guards
Wearing shin guards is important to ensure you don't injure yourself while playing sports. Shin splints are among the most common soccer injuries. It causes an inflammatory condition within the outer lining of the tibia, more commonly known as the tibia. This condition is also referred to asMedial Tibia Stress Syndrome.
Trying to walk with shin splints while playing soccer is incredibly painful. It causes tenderness and discomfort in the bones and lower leg muscles.
Symptoms of the Shin Splint also include the following:
- numbness in the feet
- pain during exercise
- Pain inside the shin
- A slight pain in the shin
Shin splints result from repeated impact with hard surfaces while running or from overtraining. Not only that, it is also possible to injure yourself on the field. Many players are kicked, pushed or hit while playing soccer.
Shin guards for boxing
In addition to football and other sports, shin guards are also suitable for kickboxing and other martial arts such as MMA and Muay Thai. As you know in these sports there is a lot of contact like punching, punching and kicking.
Appropriate protective devices are therefore required. The best protection in muay thai or kickboxing isShin guards with ankle protection. They provide the ultimate protection from injury while keeping your ankles secure.
The importance of shin guards: shin hemorrhage from contact sports
Muay Thai, MMA and kickboxing put a strain on the body. In addition to shin splints, these sports can cause shin sprains, also known as bone bruises.
bone bruisesare the result of the following traumata:
- a direct hit to the bone
- the impact of skin or muscle being torn from bone
- Damage to connected bones
- Two bones hit each other after ligament injuries
All of these forms of impact trauma are a unique type of bruise. For example,bone marrow edemais currently referred to as "bruised bone" to describe the traumatic nature of the condition. Also, a bone bruise is sometimes called a bone bruise.
The following problems can cause bone marrow changes within a bone contusion:
- Increased blood pooling: Dilated blood vessels impede blood flow, leading to significant problems with inflammation.
- Fluid in the bones: Muscle injuries cause fluid to collect in the muscles, causing them to become inflamed. This occurrence is called edema. Because bones are hard, they cannot swell. But fluid in the bones creates pressure that leads to pain.
- Reactive Hyperemia: This condition occurs when blood flow increases due to a temporary disruption.
- Fractures: After a strong blow, a small fracture can occur in the layer of bone under the articular cartilage.
Trabeculae are the collections of supporting fibrous tissue in a bone. In a total fracture, all of the bony trabeculae in the area are damaged, resulting in a fracture.
However, a bone bruise usually occurs before a fracture. In this scenario, only part of the trabecula is broken.
Bone bruise symptoms
A bone bruise causes pain in the area of contact and surrounding areas. Common symptoms are:
- swelling
- Pain or tenderness after a skin bruise goes away
- joint inflammation
- a change in skin color
- Joint pain around the impact zone
- joint stiffness
Bone bruise pain usually lasts longer than the pain caused by a soft tissue injury. There are three different types of bone bruises:
Subperiosteal hematoma: This condition causes the blood to pool under the fibrous membrane that covers the surface of the bone
Interosseous hemorrhage: Bruising that causes bleeding and inflammation in the central bone cavity, where red and yellow bone marrow reside
subchondral lesion: A reaction that causes bleeding and swelling to repair the cartilage and underlying bone
It is important to note that the type of bone contusion sustained depends on the area of the injury on the bone.
How to wear shin guards with socks
Just to clear up any confusion, shin guards are to be worn under socks. It ensures that the protectors are securely plugged in. With that in mind, here are some tips for wearing shin guards:
Choose the right shin guards
There is not much choice when it comes to shin guards. However, you need to choose the right type of shin guards and decide which style you prefer. Slip-on shin guards that go under socks are unusually lighter.
They won't restrict your movement or tire your legs. Most soccer players prefer to wear shin guards that they can slip on because they allow more freedom of movement.
How to wear shin guards: Find the right fit
No matter what style you choose, it's important to make sure your shin pads fit. If they don't fit properly, they won't offer enough protection. Incorrectly sized guards can slip off, twist, or pinch your legs if they are too small.
Also, if you decide to wear soccer shin guards that go under your socks, choose sheaths that are not too tight or too loose.
Wear the right socks
It's a good idea to wear soccer shin guards with socks. However, the socks you wear are your choice. Some soccer players like ankle socks, while others prefer long shin socks that cover their calves and reach down to their knees.
Long socks work best with non-strap shin guards. They are needed to ensure the guards remain in place. The best long socks to wear in this situation are compression stockings.
They not only protect against varicose veins, but also promote blood circulation and provide stability. They also offer additional protection against injuries.
Make sure the shin guards are secured
You should never wear unsecured soccer shin guards. IfRunning on the soccer field, your shin guards can easily detach and slide off if not held securely in place.
It's a smart idea to use shin guard tape to wrap your socks. You can also try shin guards to keep them in place.
Are you looking for the best shin guards?
Hopefully this information on wearing shin guards will help you stay safe on the pitch. If you need new shin guards, PowerRebound has you covered. Our range includes standard shin guards as well as shin guards with ankle protection.
In addition, we have a variety of orthoses for ankles, elbows, shoulders, back and knees. We also offer free worldwide shipping on all orders.
If you have any questions about our products, do not hesitatecontact us.
We are here to help you with your athletic recreation needs.