Want to avoid stress fractures?
Know what to look for.
Who gets stress fractures? Runners and track athletes.
Why do they get them? Because the bones in their lower legs receive too much impact too frequently with too little recovery time.
What to watch out for? Persistent pain and/or swelling on one foot that is worse the morning after a long run and doesn't get better with ice, massage and stretching.
Ignoring persistent foot pain during running can get you into trouble. Unless you know the secrets of the trade. The best way to avoid this injury is to cross train, progress your distances gradually and take care of your feet. Cross training means substituting a swim or a bike ride for a run on one of your training days. The swim could be a water run or you could just swim laps. This gives your bones a chance to recover and strengthen themselves for the next bout of running.
Monitor the distances you run and have a running schedule that increases gradually each week. Whether your a running novice or a seasoned, finely-tuned athlete, progressing your distances too quickly can get you into trouble. Generally speaking, the body will tolerate increases of about 10% per week. Stress fractures occur more often with people training for a half marathon or marathon distance.
Taking care of your feet means looking out for blisters or calluses that appear on one foot only. This is a sign that you put more weight on that part of your foot. Soaking your foot for ten minutes and massaging the bottoms of your feet will go a long way to reducing tightness and pain related to running.
In the clinic, we also examine the insole of your shoes which can show asymmetrical wear. We also look for subtle changes in your flexibility and stiffness in your joints which may be early warning signs of stress or injury. Now that you have the facts, be a smart runner and take care of your feet!
Check out our Runner's Assessment page to learn more about how we can keep you running injury free.
