CARING FOR ATHLETES
BEWARE OF STRESS FRACTURES…
THEY CAN STOP YOU IN YOUR TRACKS
Is that nagging and persistent pain in your shin just some sore muscles and tendons? Stress fractures are minute hairline fractures that too frequently plague athletes and are easily underestimated and misdiagnosed by athletes and medical professionals. You may be subject to acquiring a stress fracture if you are athletically active. A recent study performed at the University of British Columbia revealed that runners suffer the most stress fractures. Fitness classes, racquet sports and basketball also contributed greatly to the development of stress fractures.
Nearly one-fourth of all stress fractures are a result of training errors. The use of inappropriate footwear, working out on surfaces that are too hard, and doing too much exercise too soon are the primary causes. Signs and symptoms of a stress fracture are easily confused with persistent muscle and tendon injuries. However, stress fractures are not so benign. For example, if you feel persistent pain in your shin area accompanied by localized tenderness to touch and swelling, you may have a stress fracture. If you do have a stress fracture, the treatment is much different than treatment for muscle and tendon injuries.
Stress fractures most commonly occur in the tibia (lower leg bone), tarsal bones (upper foot), femur (thigh bone), fibula (outside portion of lower leg), pelvis and back. To further confuse matters, a stress fracture in your hip may cause pain to be experienced in the knee and not the fractured hip. If you have any symptoms that sound suspicious of a stress fracture, be sure to see a knowledgeable sports medicine specialist.
Ways to Avoid Stress Fractures:
Walk for exercise and fitness; do not jog or run
If you must run, vary your running surfaces to include grass
Replenish worn footwear
Progress exercise intensity slowly
Listen to your body; all gains can and should be done without pain
Have a joint integrity assessment to check skeletal biomechanics before participating in any athletic endeavor.