What's A Stress Fracture?
What is a stress fracture? A stress fracture is small cracks in a bone that generally occur in response to overuse or repetitive strain. This can happen in healthy individuals, but can also be a sign of an underlying health concern such as a nutrient/vitamin deficiency or osteoporosis. Stress fractures most commonly occur in the weight-bearing bones like the femur, tibia and bones of the foot.
What are the symptoms? Most of the time there are earlier signs of stress that could lead to a fracture. Early signs of a stress fracture are called stress reaction. When experiencing this, a person will generally feel progressively worsening pain with weight-bearing activity that then eases with rest. Generally speaking, if you have stress reaction or stress fracture symptoms will not really improve once you are warmed up and will just keep worsening with the activity.
Is there anything else it could be? There are other injuries that may mimic a stress fracture. For instance, shin splints, also called medial tibial stress syndrome, can cause pain in the lower leg that is worsened with activity. Often with shin splints though, the pain is most severe early in the activity and then eases some once you are warmed up.
How long does it take to heal? If stress fractures are managed appropriately, they should heal within six to 12 weeks. However, if the injury continues to be stressed, it can delay the healing process and turn it into a much longer recovery.
How do you prevent stress fractures? If you are starting a new running program, start slowly and listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, back off. Try to follow the 10 percent/week rule for increasing exercise. Make sure you are cross training and addressing any areas of weakness or limited mobility. If your symptoms are severe or progressively worsening, seek medical attention right away. Often if these injuries are treated soon enough, the recovery time can be significantly improved.
Dave Bearss, P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S., T.P.I., is a physical therapist who specializes in sports medicine and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He sees patients at the Campus Ridge Building, located on the campus of MyMichigan Medical Center Midland. To schedule an appointment, call the office at (989) 837-9100.
