Looking for some advice on stress fractures.
Ok so, in late December 2007 I broke my first metatarsal in my left foot and had it in a cast for 6 weeks.
I was able to run again after that - building up obviously but ran through out the summer and race season till September.
Then the next day after intervals I couldnt put any weight on my foot, same bone, same region, I could walk but it was discomforting. I went to see a physio and they said that it didnt seem to be a stress fracture, and tried to tell me that my orthotics (is that the word) was all wrong, and was trying to sell me special insoles.
Anyway I dont believe in insoles, I know a lot of people who have had insoles and they have done jack shit for them.
I believe that its the running and the impact which is the real problem.
Anyways I took 8 weeks off running and started again over Christmas.
6 weeks back running (running about 45-65km per week and try and do as much as one can on grass) it happened again. Woke up two morning ago with the same feeling again in my foot around the bone I broke. Cant stand on my toes on my left foot only without serious discomfort.
Anyone have any advice with stress fractures? Any ideas or tips would be much appreciated cause this has me really pissed off now.
I’m kind of thinking I might just go out and try run on it and see what happens although it may not be such a good idea.
Get a correct diagnosis. Physical therapist is not qualified to make or exclude the diagnosis. Stress fracture is pretty easy to make with a bone scan or other modalities which require a physicians prescription.
Cant stand on my toes on my left foot only without serious discomfort.
I’m kind of thinking I might just go out and try run on it and see what happens although it may not be such a good idea.
I have a feeling that if you try to run, you will not be able to.
I have had three stress fractures: a metatarsal, and both fibulae. I am a stress fracture expert unfortunately.
Stress fractures do not happen by magic. You have to do something to push the bone beyond its elastic point and to the plastic point (ie: it cracks). That means you’ve stressed it too much. Ways of doing that include upping mileage too quickly, running on too hard of surfaces, running in worn out shoes (so bones take too much support)… might be a case of shin splints that you keep running on and then you fx a tibia…
Yes it is the impact that is the problem. Low impact things: uphills. Grass.
Bones also need lots of calcium (1500mg a day but no more than 500mg at a time) and depriving them of that nutrient will mean they can’t remodel correctly, and predispose you to a fracture.
Depending on age/sex, if osteoporosis is a possibility, low bone density is maybe or maybe not correlated with a higher incidence of stress fracture.
Ah … I think you need a better diagnosis as well. How did you break the 1st met (not easy) and they often require surgery to fix properly. Last one I screwed together was from a Hockey slap shot! If you are not going to follow your physical therapist’s advice, I’d suggest you seek another’s (qualified) help.