The pain from a stress fracture often starts off as slight and goes away in as little as an hour after completing a workout. If ignored, a stress fracture in the foot or leg can completely stop an athlete or a home exerciser from participating in any workout activity involving foot impact and possibly end training for a triathlon, marathon, or other sporting events.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress fractures often occur in “weight bearing” bones, or bones in the lower leg or foot. Stress fractures are tiny breaks in a bone, which sometimes are so small they do not show up on a regular x-ray. An athlete suffering from a stress fracture feels pain during and immediately after exercise, but after resting the pain subsides. The pain comes back as soon as the athlete engages in the repetitive physical activity that is causing the injury, such as running long distances or jumping repeatedly.
A stress fracture occurs when the muscles surrounding a bone are stressed to the point they can no longer absorb the shock from repetitive high impacts. Women have been found to be at a greater risk for stress fractures due to what many doctors have come to call the “female athlete triad” of osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities, and eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia).
It normally takes a month or two to recover from a stress fracture, depending on the severity of the injury. If ignored, though, a stress fracture can grow and become more painful and harder to recover from. In fact, larger stress fractures can become recurring injuries for decades to come. Rarely, though, do stress fractures call for surgery or other invasive medical procedures.
You can prevent stress fractures by following these tips:
• Avoid running or working out in worn-out shoes. Consult your local athletic shoe store for help deciding when to trade out your old shoes for new ones.
• Unlike a runner, a home exerciser can change and improve the surface they work out on by investing in a shock absorbent floor. We have written an article in the past that can help you purchase or construct your own joint friendly floor, titled “Buying Your Own Shock Absorbent Aerobics Floor”
• Choose shoes with sufficient cushioning and support.
• When starting a new exercise regimen, ease into running long distances or working out to high-intensity cardio.
• Eat foods that are rich in Vitamin D and calcium such as milk, cheese, and salmon.
• Cross train with low impact activities such as biking, spinning or swimming or use workouts form my Low Impact Series
• At the first sign of foot or lower leg pain, back off the aggravating activity.
• See an orthopedic surgeon if pain and swelling do not cease after a few days.
An athlete suffering from a stress fracture should simply avoid pain. If an activity causes pain to the stress fracture area, it should be avoided until the stress fracture has completely healed. After the body has mended the fracture, the athlete may return to the activity that previously caused pain. Care should be exercised and the physical activity should start off light and be increased gradually over time.
If you have a stress fracture and want to maintain your muscular and cardiovascular endurance levels, it is important to not cease exercising all together. A stress fracture can be a great excuse to dust off the bicycle in your garage, visit the pool or hit the gym’s cardio room or perhaps try a zero impact indoor cycle workout like Cycle Max or some of my workouts from the Low Impact Series. Always check with your doctor about which type of exercise activity would be appropriate for your type of injury.
