Running, basketball, softball or tennis may keep you healthy, but the high-impact nature of sports like these means your bones could be taking a beating. If you start to feel pain, it could be a sign it’s time to back off.
Stress fractures occur when weak spots form in the muscle due to repeated overuse. This usually comes from a rapid increase in the amount or intensity of an activity, instead of a gradual increase that allows your muscles to build up slowly and evenly. As a result, the weakened muscle is not able to absorb excess stress and transfers it to the bone. The added shock on the bone then causes a small crack, or stress fracture. Since they take time to develop, stress fractures are often hard to spot in X-rays. Pain is often the only symptom. The most common places you may feel it are in the weight-bearing bones of your lower leg (tibia), where it’s often called “shin splints,” or in the midfoot (metatarsals).
The main treatment prescribed is rest, usually for 6 to 8 weeks. But stress fractures are sometimes hard to heal, so it’s important to try to avoid them in the first place:
Most important: The macho ideal of “playing through the pain” is not what the doctor ordered. Resuming activities too quickly or ignoring stress fractures can lead to chronic pain and problems where your bone(s) may never heal properly. If you have pain or swelling that sticks around after you rest, see your doctor at Riverview Health. You can also receive care for sports-related injuries outside of office hours at our walk-in clinic at Riverview Health Physicians Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Carmel. The after-hours orthopedic clinic is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Ready to meet with one of our orthopedic and sports medicine doctors? Call us at 317.565.0505 to request an appointment.
Source: AAOS.org