Stress Fracture Q&A

Stress Fractures are small cracks that form in the bone due to repeated physical force acting on them. These injuries most often occur from overuse and are especially prevalent in distance runners, gymnasts and other athletes who regularly put stress on their joints. They can also occur from everyday activity, especially when the bones have been weakened by conditions such as osteoporosis. Stress Fractures are most common in the shins, feet and heels but have also been known to affect the hips and lower back area.

If you are worried about putting weight on a known stress fracture you should make sure to visit a doctor as soon as possible to receive correct counselling on how to proceed. Sometimes minor stress fractures can be walked on without much additional pain or need of support. However, without the knowledge of the severity of the fracture you may be doing more damage to the injury that could impact healing time and cause additional pain. Your doctor may also recommend the use of a boot, cast or crutches to ensure that you are putting minimal weight on a stress fracture and granting yourself the greatest possible boost in recovery time.

The most common method of checking for a stress fracture is via x-ray. That will allow the doctor to visualize where the injury has occurred as well as the severity of the injury. Minute stress fractures may require an MRI scan, which can visualise more subtle stress injuries before they show up on an x-ray, allowing for preventive measures to be taken.

Without professional medical equipment the best ways to tell if you have a stress fracture are checking for redness, tenderness or swelling in the feet and ankles, if there is pain that increases over time and whether or not it hurts if you put weight on the area.

A known cause of stress fractures is a sudden and unfamiliar increase in physical activity that results in the bones being unable to keep up with the rest of the body. This can result in a fracture which can be more noticeable when you are lying down, thus leading to an increase in pain at night.

Stress Fractures can often be a constant source of pain if they go unnoticed and can worsen if they remain untreated. They can and frequently do go away on their own, especially if there is a notable reduction in the activity that caused the fracture in the first place, but just as often the fracture may worsen and result in an extremely painful and much harder to heal break in the bones of the foot. This can lead to a much more painful injury and possibly a more invasive treatment, such as foot surgery and pins to hold the bone in place, to properly recover. If you think you have a stress fracture, please go see a doctor.

At Tustin Podiatry Clinic we can assess the severity of your stress fracture and help you figure out the means to deal with the pain, minimize the effects of the injury and get you resuming your normal physical activities as soon as possible. We offer comprehensive treatment options and will work with you to develop a treatment plan that works with your everyday life.