Solushin inventors (left to right) Dr William McNamara, Benjamin Lindsay and Rosa Miller were former athletes who decided rest wasn't enough to treat shin splints
Solushin inventors (left to right) Dr William McNamara, Benjamin Lindsay and Rosa Miller were former athletes who decided rest wasn't enough to treat shin splints
With rest being the only reliable treatment option,
athletes grew very frustrated.
With rest being the only reliable treatment option,
athletes grew very frustrated.
For most runners, shin splints have been a part of their fitness journey. Whether running for fun or as an elite athlete, it is common for runners to have their training impacted by the injury.
Shin splints are described as a dull ache on your shinbone and clinically referred to as "medial tibial stress syndrome." Quite simply, your shin bone is under too high a load, and it is unable to handle it.
In research, there isn't much hope with rest and load management (a program controlling your return to sport) being your best bet. And, unfortunately, compliance with these programs is low, and there is a strong likelihood of the injury returning.
Most runners waste months, sometimes years trying hit-and-miss approaches to treating the injury. But, unfortunately, none have been able to demonstrate in a clinical setting a statistical and clinical benefit.
For most runners, shin splints have been a part of their fitness journey. Whether running for fun or as an elite athlete, it is common for runners to have their training impacted by the injury.
Shin splints are described as a dull ache on your shinbone and clinically referred to as "medial tibial stress syndrome." Quite simply, your shin bone is under too high a load, and it is unable to handle it.
In research, there isn't much hope with rest and load management (a program controlling your return to sport) being your best bet. And, unfortunately, compliance with these programs is low, and there is a strong likelihood of the injury returning.
Most runners waste months, sometimes years trying hit-and-miss approaches to treating the injury. But, unfortunately, none have been able to demonstrate in a clinical setting a statistical and clinical benefit.
For some, rest isn't a viable option due to the impact on their training schedule. Could there not be a better alternative?
For some, rest isn't a viable option due to the impact on their training schedule. Could there not be a better alternative?
This was a question asked by Dr William McNamara MD, a then medical student at the University of New South Wales and internationally recognised orthopaedic researcher. During his running career, McNamara suffered from the injury chronically and, despite having access to some of Australia's best physiotherapists and podiatrists, he never seemed to shake the injury.
Former runner turned medical doctor, William McNamara
"The best results I got were from resting," McNamara said, "But, this was incredibly frustrating as it resulted in weeks of sub-optimal training."
Along with Rosa Miller, a gymnast turned medical product designer, and Benjamin Lindsay, a swimmer turned mechanical and biomedical engineer, McNamara set out to invent a new solution for shin splints.
This was a question asked by Dr William McNamara MD, a then medical student at the University of New South Wales and internationally recognised orthopaedic researcher. During his running career, McNamara suffered from the injury chronically and, despite having access to some of Australia's best physiotherapists and podiatrists, he never seemed to shake the injury.
Former runner turned medical doctor, William McNamara
"The best results I got were from resting," McNamara said, "But, this was incredibly frustrating as it resulted in weeks of sub-optimal training."
Along with Rosa Miller, a gymnast turned medical product designer, and Benjamin Lindsay, a swimmer turned mechanical and biomedical engineer, McNamara set out to invent a new solution for shin splints.
Unlike compression sleeves, the Solushin does not focus on uniform or graded compression to improve blood flow. Instead, it actively releases tension in your calves and targets pain and inflammation.
Unlike compression sleeves, the Solushin does not focus on uniform or graded compression to improve blood flow. Instead, it actively releases tension in your calves and targets pain and inflammation.
After hypothesising a treatment method, the team decided to focus on addressing two areas:
- Pain relief - in the short-term to help you manage your training load
- Effective treatment - reducing your time spent at rest, so you can get back to running shin pain free
To do that, they hypothesised that by compressing the inflammation and pain along the border of the shin bone, while also reducing tension in the calf muscle, would help treat the injury.
The Solushin Medical Device. The top 3 nodes reduces tension in your calf (soleus) muscle while the compressive rod in the sleeve compresses the painful inflammation
Compression sleeves, which are great for muscle soreness, recovery and a variety of other applications, unfortunately, show no clinical benefit for medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints). This is widely known in clinical practice; however, the everyday runner ends up spending money with little to no return on their investment.
Rather than uniform or graded compression to improve blood flow like compression sleeves, the Solushin applies focal pressure to the three origin sites of your calf (soleus) muscle, and a compressive rod targets the inflammation.
After hypothesising a treatment method, the team decided to focus on addressing two areas:
- Pain relief - in the short-term to help you manage your training load
- Effective treatment - reducing your time spent at rest, so you can get back to running shin pain free
To do that, they hypothesised that by compressing the inflammation and pain along the border of the shin bone, while also reducing tension in the calf muscle, would help treat the injury.
The Solushin Medical Device. The top 3 nodes reduces tension in your calf (soleus) muscle while the compressive rod in the sleeve compresses the painful inflammation
Compression sleeves, which are great for muscle soreness, recovery and a variety of other applications, unfortunately, show no clinical benefit for medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints). This is widely known in clinical practice; however, the everyday runner ends up spending money with little to no return on their investment.
Rather than uniform or graded compression to improve blood flow like compression sleeves, the Solushin applies focal pressure to the three origin sites of your calf (soleus) muscle, and a compressive rod targets the inflammation.
Pro Review: James Magnussen
World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist
"I've had shin splints for the past few months. I've been wearing the Solushin's after every run for two-weeks and today I was pain free running!"
Finally, a clinically trialled medical device that is shown to effectively treat shin splints and reduce tension in your calves.
Finally, a clinically trialled medical device that is shown to effectively treat shin splints and reduce tension in your calves.
Subjects noted immediate pain relief when wearing the device
Subjects returned to full-load training with no pain over 5 times faster than load management alone
Reduced tension in calves quickly and easily over just one hour
Presented at 2019 Sports Medicine Australia conference in the Foot & Ankle Papers session
In a double-blinded randomised controlled trial, the Solushin showed an ability to treat medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) effectively. In a separate study to show the effects of ankle range of motion, a measure that shows the release in the tension of the calf (soleus) muscle, the Solushin improved ankle range by 21% in an hour. Both studies are pending publication.
Subjects noted immediate pain relief when wearing the device
Subjects returned to full-load training with no pain over 5 times faster than load management alone
Reduced tension in calves quickly and easily over just one hour
Presented at 2019 Sports Medicine Australia conference in the Foot & Ankle Papers session
In a double-blinded randomised controlled trial, the Solushin showed an ability to treat medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) effectively. In a separate study to show the effects of ankle range of motion, a measure that shows the release in the tension of the calf (soleus) muscle, the Solushin improved ankle range by 21% in an hour. Both studies are pending publication.
Initially reserved for professional athletes, including NRL, AFL, NNL and W-league teams, the Solushin is now available to all Australians
Initially reserved for professional athletes, including NRL, AFL, NNL and W-league teams, the Solushin is now available to all Australians
Available online and through leading clinics.
Meet some of our partners.
The Solushin is a medical orthosis listed on the ARTG, 325902. Please refer to the Instructions For Use at solushin.com/instructions and consult a health professional to determine if this product is right for you.
Available online and through leading clinics.
Meet some of our partners.
The Solushin is a medical orthosis listed on the ARTG, 325902. Please refer to the Instructions For Use at solushin.com/instructions and consult a health professional to determine if this product is right for you.