Stress fractures hurt, but this plan can help!A stress fracture—a hairline crack in your bone that develops, over time, due to repeated impact—can be a runner’s nightmare.

I came across a great post on Competitor that offered great advice on getting through (and past) this type of injury, and I wanted to share with you guys (including some edits from the perspective of a Houston podiatrist.)

Step 1: Diagnosis

As has always been my advice, the best thing to do when any part of your feet, toes or ankles is hurting: see your podiatrist and find out what’s really wrong. A pain in your leg could be a cramp, but it could also be a fracture. Don’t shrug off discomfort, but don’t panic and jump to conclusions pre-maturely. The only definitive way to diagnose a stress fracture is with a bone scan or MRI (the tiny crack is unlikely to show up on an X-ray, particularly in its early stages.)

Step 2: Relax and Heal

Recovering from a stress fracture requires time and patience (possibly over a month.) At first, you must rest completely; next, when you get the go-ahead from your podiatrist, start gentle work-outs, placing an emphasis on cross-training so that the injured bone doesn’t get the same time of continuous impact that got you in trouble in the first place. Then, once you’ve built up enough strength (and again, only with your podiatrist’s approval), you can get back to running.

Step 3: Stay Focused and Positive

Keep your mind on the end-goal: getting back to pain-free running. Don’t try to do too much, too soon, or you’ll end up worse off than when you first started hurting.

Stress fractures and shin-splints are often viewed as nothing more than thorns in the paws of runners, but they are serious injuries that require treatment. If you are dealing with a running injury of any kind, schedule an appointment with Dr. Andrew Schneider today. 

Dr. Andrew Schneider
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A podiatrist and foot surgeon in Houston, TX.