Shoes that provide poor support, such as high heels — which place a lot of pressure on the toes — as well as old, stiff shoes can put a person at risk. Finally, people with foot deformities that change their load bearing can develop stress fractures.
For example, in a foot with a bunion , the big toe may be repositioned such that stops supporting the weight it should normally should bear. This places more load force on the other toes, which can lead to a stress fracture in one or more of them. In such cases, the second toe next to the big toe is the most likely to fracture. Any of the bones of the lower leg, ankle and foot can experience a stress fracture. The most commonly affected bones are:.
Anatomical drawing of the foot, showing the metatarsal and navicular bones. Illustration by Joseph Yu, BS. The key symptom of a stress fracture is pain. Depending on the bone affected, it tends to hurt in very specific, pinpoint areas, and it will hurt when you touch the exact area where the bone is broken. If you have recently changed or increased your activity and have pain in a specific area of the foot or ankle, you may have a stress fracture.
The pain usually becomes more intense when you do impact activities and gets better during periods of rest. If you think you may have a stress fracture in your foot or ankle, the most important thing to do is to immediately stop all activities that cause pain. If an untreated stress fracture worsens gets bigger , you will start feeling the pain more quickly during activity that puts stress on the affected bones than when the stress fracture first appeared.
If your pain continues after several days of rest or if your pain goes away but then returns even after several weeks of rest, you should see an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon also called an "orthopedist" or "orthopaedist". Your doctor will first ask you questions about your pain and level of activity to evaluate you for the risk factors discussed above. Next, he or she will examine you and order X-rays for the area where you experience pain.
When a stress fracture is present, it is actually not uncommon for the X-rays to appear normal and show no break in the bone. This is because sometimes the bone reacts and grows new bone to heal the crack. However, the injured bone is still vulnerable to being rebroken. When new bone grows, the final step is for it to calcify. A radiologist or orthopedist often confirms the stress fracture diagnosis by seeing the calcification of new bone growth on your X-ray.
In certain cases your doctor may order a bone scan or MRI to provide more information than does a standard X-ray. However, these more expensive tests are not routinely needed to diagnose a stress fracture. If you have any of these risk factors, you want to talk to your doctor about how to mitigate them to facilitate faster healing.
Overall, a broken bone is a serious injury. Failing to get treatment can make things a lot worse. In need of an orthopedic? Contact Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates today! Do you experience numbness and pain in your hand or fingers? You may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Learn how you can relieve your symptoms and prevent further damage to your hands and fingers. This can be related to not getting enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet.
Here are some tips: Start any new activity or exercise slowly and increase the duration and intensity of the activity gradually. Build up to that level of exercise over time. Your doctor, a sports medicine specialist, or an athletic trainer can give you advice on how to gradually increase your level of activity.
Pay attention to technique when you train or compete. To prevent injury, warm up before practices and meets, and use good technique and posture in all activities. Work low-impact activities into your training regimen. This gives your legs and feet time to rest between workouts. For example, if you have gymnastics practice 5 days a week, give your legs a break on the weekend by going for a swim or a bike ride instead.
This can also increase your muscle strength and overall heart fitness. Get the right shoes for your activity and be sure they give your feet plenty of support and cushioning.
Using shock-absorbing inserts in your shoes can reduce stress fractures. If you notice any pain or swelling, stop doing the activity. Give the affected part of your body — such as your foot or leg — plenty of time to rest. Ask your doctor how long this should be. Treating Stress Fractures If noticed early and treated correctly, most stress fractures will heal by themselves in a matter of weeks. Treatment for a stress fracture includes: Stop doing activities that put stress on your legs, feet, spine, or other injured area.
Rest is the most important part of treatment for a stress fracture. Use ice or a cold compress to reduce swelling. A typical regimen might involve icing the injury as needed every 3 hours for 15 minutes each time.
Ask your doctor about which pain medicines to take. Health Library Search. But a stress fracture worsens over time and with activity, and you may begin to have some swelling. Once you become aware that the pain is worsening, you should get treatment. You may notice some tenderness around the area, or even see some bruising. As you might expect, giving your bones time to heal is the most important step in treating a stress fracture. This can be a difficult part of the process for athletes.
It usually takes about weeks for a stress fracture to heal. During that time, you may need to use the classic RICE protocol rest, ice, compression, and elevation and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to ease the pain and swelling. Other treatments depend on the location and severity of your injury.
Your doctor may suggest protective footwear, a cast, or other measures. In some cases, surgery is necessary to stabilize your bones.
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