Stress fractures
Stress fractures are a tiny hair line crack in the bone caused by repeated high impact trauma from activities such as running and jumping. There is either increased force on normal and healthy bone or normal force on unhealthy or weak bones. Stress fractures are a serious and debilitating condition which is often overlooked as muscle fatigue or pain. Interestingly enough, you may not feel pain when participating in high impact activities however there is a characteristic dull aching pain at night time. Other symptoms may include:
- Pain that becomes severe and occurs during normal daily activities
- Swelling around the foot or leg bone affected
- Tenderness to touch
- Bruising and redness
Treatment for stress fractures is crucial and may include:
- Immediate rest from high impact activities
- Cam walker or ‘moon boot’ fitting
- Padding and offloading
- Appropriate training program for future return to activities
- Muscle stretching and strengthening protocol
- Long term orthotics to redistribute uneven forces in the feet