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Health & Fitness

Be aware of stress fractures!

tapasya srivastava, Neighbor
Stress fractures occur due to loads or stress that stress a bone but would not individually be expected to cause it to break. Stress fractures may be the result of a small number of repetitions with a relatively large load (eg, a military recruit marching for several miles with a heavy backpack), a large number of repetitions with a usual load (eg, an athlete training for a long-distance race), or some intermediate combination of increased load and number of repetitions.

Bone remodels in response to a mechanical stress. The rate and amount of remodeling depends upon the number and frequency of loading cycles a bone is subjected to. An abrupt increase in the duration, intensity, or frequency of physical activity without adequate periods of rest may lead to pathologic changes in bone. These pathologic changes result from an imbalance between bone resorption and formation. During periods of intense exercise, bone formation lags behind bone resorption. This renders the bone susceptible to microfractures. Under continued loading conditions, these microfractures may propagate and coalesce into stress fractures.

Important risk factors for developing stress fractures include - history of prior stress fracture, low level of physical fitness, increasing volume and intensity of physical activity, female gender and menstrual irregularity, diet poor in calcium, poor bone health, and poor biomechanics.

Facts to know -

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•Stress fractures are common. Especially of the metatarsal shaft. Most can generally be managed with activity reduction alone, if recognized early.  •Numerous potential predisposing factors exist. These must be corrected, or injury will likely recur.•Stress fractures generally present with a gradual progression of symptoms•Early radiographs of metatarsal stress fractures are often unremarkable, and diagnosis may be made on clinical grounds.

Tips-

If you first start increased level of a new activity like walking, jogging etc., make sure you use a good shoe.

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Make sure activity is gradually increased.

If foot pain persists or worsens with a certain shoe make sure you wear good foot wear.

Recommended is a good sneaker shoe.

If foot pain recurs again and again a short course of anti-inflammatory can be done after checking with your PCP. Referral to podiatrist or orthopedics is sometimes needed as well.

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