Stress Fracture in Foot

Stress Fracture in Foot

If you play basketball regularly or you are a dancer by profession, the chances are you already know how painful a Stress Fracture can be. Although it is just a hairline crack, it can be extremely painful, especially when in a bone of weight bearing use such as the foot. If left untreated, a stress fracture in foot can become serious. It is possible to treat your stress fracture but you will have to be patient and take several steps to accelerate recovery.

How Do You Know If You Have Stress Fracture in Foot?

You will experience certain symptoms when you have a stress fracture. For instance, there will pain when you apply weight and that pain may go away after resting. The pain you experience usually becomes worse over the course of the day. You will notice tenderness in the affected area with occasional bruising and swelling outside of the ankle.

Keep in mind that even when you have a stress fracture in your foot, you should still be able to move your ankle and foot around. It means that stress fractures usually do not immobilize you, and that is a major reason why many sufferers do not seek immediate treatment. Many people continue to run on their injured foot and end up making their fracture worse.

Why Does It Occur?
You may get a stress fracture in foot due to a number of different reasons. For instance:

Repetitive Impact on Foot
Your bones have a limit to bear pressure, but when you exceed that limit constantly, this leads to an imbalance between the resorption and growth of bone. Repetitive force damages your bone cells, but your body adds new cells when you are at rest. If your body does not get enough rest for recovery, you will continue to lose bone cells that will lead to "bone fatigue". This will eventually cause tiny cracks to develop in those fatigued bones, which turn into stress fractures with time.

Sudden Increase in Activity
You may develop it when you suddenly increase the number of days you exercise each week. Similarly, you may develop a stress fracture when you suddenly increase the duration of activity – such as running or walking longer distances for extended hours.

Other Causes
There are many other factors that contribute to the development of stress fractures. For instance, you may develop a stress fracture in foot due to your footwear, exercise equipment, exercise surface, and insufficient rest periods. Corns, Bunions, Calluses may alter your gait and lead to the development of stress fractures. Certain conditions such as Osteoporosis, rheumatoid Arthritis, and neuropathic foot can also cause a stress fracture.

What to Do When You Develop a Stress Fracture in Foot
Do not continue with your activity despite feeling pain in your foot. The fact that you can move your foot does not mean you do not have a fracture or anything serious.

1. See a Doctor
Be sure to see your doctor as soon as you can to know how severe the fracture is. Ignoring the pain and continuing with your routine may break your bone completely.

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and may even ask for specific imaging tests such as x-rays and MRIs to diagnose a fracture. Once they confirm you have a stress fracture in foot, they will suggest the following treatment options.

2. RICE
You should take plenty of rest, apply ice to your affected food, compress it, and keep it elevated.

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  Avoid putting weight on your foot for some time and wear a thick-soled cork sandal instead of a thin slipper.


• Apply cold packs for 15-20 minutes several times a day and then wrap the area lightly in a soft bandage.


• Moreover, keeping your foot higher than your heart level will help reduce swelling and pain. Your doctor may give you pain relievers like ibuprofen if you have severe pain.

3. Physical Therapy
Your doctor may recommend the use of crutches for some time. This ensures you do not put excessive weight on your affected foot and give it time to heal. They may also try some other options. For instance:

• You will have to switch to modified activities to limit the amount of stress placed on your leg for at least 6-8 weeks until your fracture heals completely. Cycling and swimming are good form of exercises for someone with a stress fracture in foot.


• You will need to wear protective footwear for support. This may include a wooden-soled sandal, a stiff-soled shoe, etc.


• You will have to apply a cast if you have a stress fracture on the outer side of the foot. The casting will help keep your bones in a fixed position.

4. Surgical Treatment
If these treatment options do not work, you will have to undergo a surgical procedure called internal fixation. It involves inserting a fastener to support the bone. Plates, screws, and pins are also used to keep your small bones in place.

How to Prevent Stress Fracture in Foot

• Do not stick to one activity when exercising. Cross training helps avoid overstressing specific areas of your body. If you run a lot, be sure to mix it with cycling, swimming or some weight training.


• Buy proper footwear that fits you well and provides you with some support while running or engaging in physical activities.


• Consume more vitamin D and calcium-rich foods to keep your bones strong and healthy.


• Talk to your doctor if you are losing bone density due to aging.


• Always increase frequency and duration of a new exercise as slowly as possible. A sudden change in frequency can always shock your bones and muscles and lead to a stress fracture. Talk to your doctor or work with a sports medicine specialist to understand how to increase your level of activity.


• Avoid smoking to prevent stress fractures. If you already have a fracture, smoking will hamper healing. It happens due to the presence of nicotine that keeps the bone from healing.

What Does a Stress Fracture Feel Like?

What Does a Stress Fracture Feel Like?

Runners, dancers, and athletes alike can be prone to different types of injuries that come directly from their motions. One such injury is a stress fracture of the bones. This microscopic break happens when thin cracks form as the answer to repeated pressure on a bone. It is common to see stress fractures in the toes, ankle, foot, hip, and tibia. Many individuals wonder: what does a stress fracture feel like? The answer can be a bit complex. Unfortunately, the dull pain associated with these fractures is often ignored by individuals, which can lead to it becoming a much bigger issue.

What Does a Stress Fracture Feel Like?
When it comes to stress fracture, you are not so much looking for symptoms, instead, you're actually feeling them.

• A stress fracture will first feel like minor pain and weakness localized to a specific area. Typically this pain is somewhere that you have not experienced another type of injury such as a bruise, at the same time. Although you will feel the pain below the skin, you may not see any visible signs of injury.


• With time, the pain may progress and feel deep within the affected areas, such as leg or hip. If no measures taken, the pain may become very nagging and annoying.


• The pain from a stress fracture will continue to escalate at a different speed depending on your levels of activity. In areas where stress fractures are common like the hip, leg, and foot, you may notice that the pain becomes unbearable as it progresses. This can lead to severe discomfort.

For example, if the stress fracture occurs in your foot, the pain may just feel like a light sprain. Without treatments and with you keeping your normal activities like walking or running, the pain would become severe and lead to claudication. As a result, you may have to use crutches to aid moving as the pain would become too unbearable.

What Not to Look For
The injury of a stress fracture is only relevant to the bones. Some may be under the misconception that if you have sustained this type of injury then you won't be able to easily move things like fingers and toes. While this might be true when a bone is completely broken, it is not the same with a stress fracture. Many individuals are able to endure the pain of a stress fracture easily and continue on with their activity, failing to realize that it is more serious until it actually hinders their ability to move.

Individuals should not look for swelling as a sign of injury, either. When a stress fracture occurs, there may be swelling but generally, there is not. When there is, it is minimal and may not be easily noticed. Lastly, because a stress fracture happens below the skin tissue and is not the result of a direct impact injury (being hit with an object, etc.), there is not likely to be any discoloration or bruising.

Degrees of Stress Fractures
As we consider "what does a stress fracture feel like", we have to also consider that these injuries come in different degrees and individuals have different pain thresholds. The degree of a stress fracture is directly related to the body part which is impacted.

For example, stress fractures on the heel are relatively minor and fairly common for anyone who is in an activity that involves regular heel to toe movements. At worst, a patient may have to use crutches or even a cushioned boot for a few days up to one week to alleviate pressure so the bones can heal.

Areas that heal poorly are considered high risk stress fractures. For example, the hip or pelvic areas are two places where bones endure a substantial amount of pressure and are therefore difficult to heal properly. In fact, the medical community believes that any type of fracture above the knee is considered more serious because these are some of the strongest bones in the body as they support nearly all movements.

Why Does It Happen?
After knowing "what does a stress fracture feel like" it is equally important to know what causes it so as to avoid future injuries. Bone health is critical for everyone and human bones sustain their strength through mineral absorption, which typically comes from a healthy diet. However, even the most health-conscious individual is likely to suffer from a stress fracture with repeated pressure put on a specific bone.

If a stress fracture comes a little too easily or is very severe upon the first impact, it is possible that there is an underlying medical condition that has resulted in lighter bone density making them subject to breakage. As for these medical conditions, there are numerous different ones, which is why it's important to seek medical attention anytime you feel you may have endured a stress fracture.

How to Deal With It
The importance of knowing "what does a stress fracture feel like" is to help you get proper treatments as soon as possible. Treating a stress fracture is relatively uncomplicated. It starts by being proactive about taking a few days off to allow your body to heal. If possible, elevate the extremity that is in pain to increase blood flow and allow the area to heal naturally.

• Most stress fracture pain can be treated with over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen. Patients should avoid taking aspirin as it can thin the blood and slow down the healing process.


• During the first 24 to 48 hours of reduced movement, you may want to alternate between ice packs and heat to soothe some of the pain in the area.


• If a stress fracture is particularly intense, it may require additional assistance from an air cast or even crutches to alleviate pressure when walking.


• Depending on the severity of your fracture, it may be necessary to maintain light duty for up to two weeks. In severe cases, avoid certain types of activity for up to eight weeks to allow the bone adequate time to heal and prevent further stress on the area.

Prevention Is Key
Stress fractures are likely to happen to individuals who have taken on a new routine that dramatically increases their physical activity. Physicians recommend taking a slow approach and gradually working your body up to the level of activity which you wish to achieve. This gives your bones and muscles time to address properly to prevent injury. Additionally, making sure that your body is supported adequately during your physical activity is important; this includes wearing good quality shoes that work with the arch of your feet and maintaining a healthy diet with the type of nutrients that support bone health.

Fibula Stress Fracture: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Fibula Stress Fracture: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

First described by the Prussian physician Breithaupt in 1855, the stress fracture is quite common in military recruits and athletes. The injury usually affects the lower extremities, but it may also appear in the ribs and the upper extremities. The most common locations for this injury are the tibia, fibula, metatarsals, and navicular bones; however, it may as well affect the femur, sacrum, and pelvis. It is quite common on the calf bone or fibula. A stress fracture can be quite painful and requires quick attention.

Symptoms and Causes of Fibula Stress Fracture


Symptoms
Located on the lateral side of the tibia, the fibula can sustain an injury when engaging in sporting activities. If you have a stress fracture, you may experience sharp pain at the location. The pain increases with physical activity, especially when you put weight on the leg. At the point of fracture, you may experience some tenderness as well.

Causes
An excessive pulling or twisting force on the bone may result in a stress fracture. This usually happens when the associated leg muscles do not function at full capacity and exert more pressure on the fibula during movement. Your fibula stress fracture may be the result of a single accident or it may develop due to stress over time.

Overuse factors also play a role here. You are more likely to develop a fracture if you do not stretch important muscles before starting an activity. Exercising when your muscles have already become fatigued may also result in an injury. Worn or inappropriate footwear also make you more susceptible to developing a fibula stress fracture. If your foot rolls inwards when you walk or run, this puts excess pressure on the muscles and increases your risk of getting a fracture.

Why Runners Are at a Greater Risk?
Bones become stronger when you increase pressure on them gradually. However, bones are not like muscles and tendons, and take months to become stronger and be able to handle increased level of stress. During the early stages, your bone becomes weak after being under stress for an extended time. It loses its walls before putting in new, stronger ones. Athletes are more likely to get an injury during that phase.

Treatment of a Fibula Stress Fracture
Depending on the severity of your fibula stress fracture, it may take anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks to notice improvement. You need to reduce your activity level and take plenty of rest until pain subsides a bit. It is important to talk to your doctor and seek medical assistance as soon as you sustain an injury. Any delay will result in prolonged return to activity.

Here are some other steps to take:

• Make use of crutches in the beginning to avoid putting too much weight on your affected leg.


• Learn to stretch the muscles of your lower leg to accelerate recovery.


• Wear ankle support or use a heat retainer to provide some support to the muscles of your lower leg.


• Consult with a professional and get sports massage to accelerate recovery.


• Take OTC painkillers to alleviate pain and swelling.


• Start a rehab program comprising of stretching and strengthening exercises to regain strength, flexibility, and balance.

Stress Fracture Prevention Strategies
Dealing with a fibula stress fracture can be a painful experience, so it is always better to take steps to lower your risk of developing a stress fracture.

1. Always Listen to Your Body
Do not train through pain. You have to understand that pain is your body's way to tell you that something is not right and it needs rest. When you become tired, your running mechanics change and you lose proper form. You have to work with a professional and design your running or training program in a way that you have adequate recovery time. You have to talk to your therapist or healthcare provider the moment you experience the pain on the outside of your lower leg or ankle. They will tell you what measures to take to avoid a future injury.

2. Deal with Over Pronation
When your foot over pronates, you need to take certain steps to limits its effects. You need to work with a specialist to increase ankle mobility. Learn exercises for ankle strengthening as well as arch and foot intrinsic muscle strengthening. Also, pay attention to your posture, increase cadence, and perform exercises to strengthen your hip abductor and glute to avoid injuries.

3. Increase Training Gradually
Sudden increase in the intensity of your training will also lead to injuries. You should never increase your activity or running by more than 10% a week. It means that if you are running 15 miles today, you should only add 1.5 miles to it in the next week.

4. Consider Cross-Training
Runners often make mistakes of sticking to one exercise only to hit their mileage goals, but that makes them more susceptible to injuries and fractures. Running puts repetitive stress on your joints and bones. This may lead to muscle imbalance and make you deal with stress fractures. Including another exercise in your routine will help immensely. Anything like tennis, yoga, swimming, weight lifting will work just fine.

5. Wear Appropriate Footwear
If you love running, you have to love your shoes as well. Be willing to invest in a pair of high quality shoes. Your shoes have a huge impact on running mechanics. You need to select shoes considering your arch and special needs. It is usually a better idea to select neutral or minimalist style shoes than using stability shoes and arch supports.

If you have been wearing cushioned and highly supportive shoes for quite some time, a quick transition to barefoot style shoes may increase your risk of getting a stress fracture. A better idea is to use a variety of training shoes and rotate them nicely. This will prevent excessive pressure on any specific muscle group or joint.

Stress Fracture

Stress Fracture






Fracture is described as broken bone or cracks in the bone. Stress fracture is the condition in which cracks develop on the bone due to repeated force or overuse of bone. It can occur in any part of the body but more specific in legs and foot bone. Athletes are more prone to stress fracture than normal individuals. Osteoporosis can also cause fracture due to weakening of bones.

Symptoms :

Swelling in the area in which fracture has developed and increased pain are the symptoms of stress fracture. The pain will increase with activity and the area becomes hot and tender.

By taking enough rest swelling and pain will subside and once you start doing any activity there will be pain. Without taking any treatment, there will be huge swelling with unmanageable pain even when you are at rest.

Causes :

Stress fracture is caused due to continuous force and overuse. Usually the thigh bones and bones of lower legs are affected since it bears the full weight of your body. The repeated pressure can produce an imbalance between the growth of bone cells and resorption causing minor cracks.

When you are at rest, new bone cells are added after removal of dead cells. But sometimes when you don’t give enough time for the bone to recover and subject it to continuous pressure it will form small cracks on the fatigued bones.

Who are at risk?

Athletes and sports persons have more chance of getting stress fracture since often they are engaged in sports activities giving pressure on the leg bones. Military personnel and people who have suddenly committed with increased activity like strenuous training sessions can develop this condition.

Women with abnormal menstrual flow and women who are in the menopause stage will have depleted calcium in their bones causing stress fracture. Individuals with various kinds of illness or deformity in their foot may develop stress fracture. Diseases like osteoporosis will weaken your bones making it prone to fracture.

Diagnoses :

X-ray of the affected bone will clearly indicate the intensity of fracture. However the symptoms may not be visible in early stages of fracture for some people. MRI and bone scan is done for visualizing the extent of injury caused to the bones.

Treatment :

The method of treatment varies with the intensity of fracture and on the part of the bone in which fracture has occurred. You can take pain killers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen for managing the pain.

Take complete rest when you have developed swelling with pain due to minor fracture. It takes some time for the bone to heal on its own by increasing the number of fresh bone cells.

If you can walk you should use support like leg brace or splint or crutches for reducing the pressure on the bones. In case of severe fracture your doctor will immobilize the bone with splinter or casting. Surgery is the last option for repairing the damaged bones.

Home Remedies :

You should avoid doing any physical activities that will add more pressure on the affected bones. Apply ice on the part of the leg where fracture has occurred to reduce swelling. Follow the instructions of your doctor to stay off the affected limb.

Prevention :

When you are doing any new exercises always start slowly making progress in step by step. Wear proper fitting shoes so that the weight is not shifted on the bones. In case you have flat feet you should wear special shoes for added support. Include required doses of calcium in your diet and women above 40 years should take proper care for adding more calcium.

Stress Fracture – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Stress Fracture – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

What are Stress Fractures?

These are tiny cracks or breaks in the bone. They are caused by the repeated applying of force usually from overuse – for instance jumping up and down repeatedly or long distance running. These fractures can arise also just from normal use especially if the bone is weakened by conditions such as Osteoporosis.

These fractures are more common in bones that are weight-bearing in the lower foot or leg. Field or track athletes are predominantly vulnerable to these type fractures, but almost anyone may experience one of these fractures. If an individual is beginning a new exercise program, they can be at risk especially if they start doing too much too soon.

Stress Fracture Symptoms

The symptoms of stress fractures consist of:

• Pain


• Swelling


• Increased pain and swelling with activity


• Tenderness in one specific spot


• Decreased pain and swelling with rest


• Onset of pain earlier with each succeeding workout


• Pain continues at rest due to progression of damage

In the beginning these fractures are hardly noticeable. But notice the pain. Self-care and treatment that is proper can stop the fracture from getting worse.

If there is pain that persists or is severe even at rest, contact your physician.

Stress Fracture Causes

Stress fractures are the result of repetitive use of a force that is greater than the bones of the lower legs or feet can normally endure. This causes a discrepancy between the resorption and the growth of the bone, each of which happen all the time. The repetitive force encourages the turnover of cells of then bone, but new bone cells are added when an individual is at rest.

When the bones are submitted to uncommon force without the time to recover, bone cells are resorbed faster than they can be replaced. And the result is bone fatigue. Repetitive, continued force creates tiny cracks in the bones that are fatigued. These progress until they become stress fractures.

Those aspects that can escalate the risk of these type fractures can include:

Sports
These type fractures are most common in individuals who take part in sports such as field and track, tennis, gymnastics, or basketball.

Increased activity
These type fractures occur often in individuals who rapidly shift from a lifestyle that is sedate to an active training program – for instance a military recruit exposed to extreme exercises or an athlete who quickly increases the duration, frequency or intensity of sessions of training.

Sex
Those females who have atypical or absent menstrual periods are at a greater risk of suffering from these type fractures.

Problems with feet
Individuals who have rigid, high arches or flat feet are most apt to get stress fractures

Bones weakened
Problems such as osteoporosis weaken the bones as well as make it that much easier for these type of fractures to happen.

There are cases where stress fractures do not heal correctly. This can lead to pain that is chronic. If the underlying causes are not managed, the individual can be at a much greater risk for more stress fractures.

Stress Fracture Treatment

Even though physicians may often diagnose a stress fracture from physical exam and medical history alone, imaging tests are still often required in order to confirm that diagnosis.
Imaging tests include:

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X-rays
In most incidents, these fractures are not obvious on X-rays that are regular and taken shortly after the beginning of symptoms and signs. It normally takes several weeks – and often longer than a month – for the indication of fractures due to stress to begin to show up on x-rays.

Bone scans
Several hours before a bone scan, the individual is given a small dose of radioactive matter thru an intravenous line. This material collects in areas where bones are repairing – showing up on the bone scan as white spots that are very bright. But, most types of problems with the bone look alike on these scans, so these test are not very precise for stress fractures.

MRI
MRI’s use radio waves as well as a strong magnetic field to create images of internal structures that are very detailed. MRI’s normally can envision these type fractures in the first week of an injury and this test is the best to differentiate between soft tissue damages and stress fractures.

Treatment depends on the fracture location as well as how fast the individual needs to start activity again. These include:

Drugs
When needed, use Tylenol as a pain reliever. There is research that proposes that other pain relievers such as Advil, Aleve or Motrin interfere with healing bone.

Therapy
In order to decrease the weight-bearing load of the bone while healing, the individual might need to wear a walking brace or boot or use crutches. In cases that are severe, the physician may want to immobilize the bone with a cast or splint.

Surgery
It is very unusual, but at times surgery is necessary to ensure total healing of some stress fractures, particularly the ones that occur in areas with blood supply that is poor.

The bone needs time to heal. Some cases can take many months or even longer, so in the meantime the individuals should:

Rest
Stay off the limb that is involved or as directed by your primary care physician until there is clearance to endure full weight on the limb.

Ice
In order to relieve pain as well as reduce any swelling, your primary care physician might advise the application of ice packs to the area that is injured – use up to 3 or 4 times a day for ten minutes each time.

Slowly resume activity
When your physician releases the individual for activity, progress slowly from non-weight bearing actions – for instance swimming – to normal activities. Activities which are high impact, for instance running, need to be started on a slow basis, with very cautious development of distance and time.

Very easy measures can aid in preventing more stress fractures.

Any changes should be made slowly
Beginning any new program for exercise should be slow and progress slowly using proper shoes. Make certain the shoes also fit well and are appropriate for the activity. If the individual has flat feet, speak with an expert about using arch supports in the shoes.

Get proper nutrition
In order to keep bones strong, make certain the diet has lots of calcium as well as other nutrients.

Cross train
It is best to add low-impact actions to the exercise routine in order to avoid repeatedly stressing any part of the body.