Shin Splints & Calf Pain Treatment with FAST™

Lower-leg pain is one of those issues that can sneak up on you fast. One day you’re moving normally, and the next you’re feeling sharp, aching, or burning pain every time you take a step. Whether it’s shin splints, a calf strain, or a stubborn Achilles issue, these conditions can make walking, running, climbing stairs, or even standing still feel uncomfortable and unpredictable.

At New Dawn Acupuncture, I use a modern, integrated approach based on the FAST™ method to calm inflammation, help irritated tissues heal, and restore healthy muscle function. When we treat the deeper soft-tissue dysfunction – not just the pain itself – your lower leg can finally recover.

If you’re ready to start feeling better, call (202) 538-3995 to book your appointment today.

Shin Splints

Shin splints – also called medial or anterior tibial stress syndrome – are an overuse injury caused by micro-tears in the fascia along the tibia bone. This inflammation usually develops in activities that involve repetitive running or high-impact movement.

As fatigue sets in, the muscles and tendons surrounding the tibia no longer absorb shock properly, placing abnormal stress on the bone. Contributing factors include:

Improper foot alignment (such as pronation)
Running on hard or uneven surfaces
Excessive hill running
Training increases that happen too quickly

If untreated, progressive tibial stress syndrome can lead to a tibial stress fracture, which is more serious and requires a longer recovery.

Calf Muscle Strains

Calf strains happen when the muscle is forced to contract suddenly – especially during sports that involve rapid acceleration or quick changes in direction, like tennis, soccer, or football.

The gastrocnemius is strained most often, followed by the soleus. These injuries commonly occur when:

“Pushing off” quickly
Sprinting
Jumping
Lifting a heavy weight while on tip-toe (the “Barbie foot” position)

People often describe a snapping or tearing sensation. As the muscle heals, the injured tissue can bunch up or feel knotted, creating both tightness and weakness.

A soleus strain feels similar, but the pain is deeper and closer to the bone.

Achilles Tendinopathy

Achilles pain often develops from quick jumping, rapid acceleration, or running uphill. The pain usually increases with activity and eases with rest.

There are two main types of Achilles injury:

Inflammatory Achilles Injury

This affects the paratenon – a thin sheath surrounding the tendon. It becomes irritated from overuse, creating heat, localized pain, and swelling, even though the tendon itself remains intact.

Non-Inflammatory Achilles Tendinopathy

This type involves:

Degeneration of the tendon
Scar tissue
Thickened or tangled fibers
A noticeable lump along the tendon

It’s most common in aging or high-volume athletes.

Sometimes the bursa at the heel also becomes inflamed, causing a painful bump where the tendon attaches.

How We Treat Shin Splints, Calf Strains & Achilles Pain

Acupuncture is highly effective at reducing pain, calming inflammation, increasing circulation, and improving mobility in injured lower-leg tissues. It helps release tight muscles, encourage endorphin release, and restore blood flow so tissues can recover.

To accelerate healing, I use the FAST™ method.

FAST™ is specifically designed to treat the deeper soft-tissue dysfunction – micro-tears, adhesions, scar tissue, and nerve irritation – that keeps these conditions lingering or recurring.

When we address the root cause, the lower leg becomes stronger, more flexible, and more resilient, reducing the chance of repeat injuries.

A More Thoughtful, Supportive Path to Healing

Your care starts with listening – understanding what triggered your injury, how it’s affecting your movement, and what you want to get back to doing. Then we create a clear, personalized plan that supports real, lasting results.

If lower-leg pain is slowing you down or keeping you from the activity you love, you don’t have to wait for it to get worse.

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Get back to feeling like yourself

with Dawn Caudill

Call Us at (202) 538-3995

Her genuine care and approach are filled with sincerity and friendliness.

— A.J.A.

What is FAST™?

FAST™ is a breakthrough technique that combines:

Cross-fiber manual therapy to break down scar tissue.

Targeted acupuncture to release tension and improve blood flow.

Photobiomodulation (laser therapy) to accelerate repair at the cellular level.

This integrative approach doesn’t just cover up symptoms. It works at the structural level to heal the true source of pain that other approaches ignore - so you can get back to doing what you love without the constant worry of re-injury or flare-ups.

How FAST™ Works

Most chronic soft tissue pain is caused by micro-tears, adhesions, and scar tissue that restrict movement, limit oxygen flow, and trigger inflammation. Standard treatments ignore this source of chronic pain, even considering these types of damage “healed” despite the continued pain.

FAST™ targets this dysfunction directly by:

Reactivating the body’s natural healing response in damaged tissues.

Stimulating collagen production and blood flow using targeted laser therapy.

Releasing tight muscles and restoring proper alignment through acupuncture and manual techniques.

Stop Managing Pain. Start Healing It.

You don’t have to live with it, and you don’t have to mask it anymore. FAST™ heals the source of chronic soft tissue pain so you can get back to your life.

It’s natural, effective, and non-invasive, stimulating your own body’s healing deep in the tissues using a combination of traditional therapies and modern science and technology.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation