Is Stress Fracture Only Related to Sports? A Look at Other Possible Causes

A stress fracture is a more common injury than we think. It is highly common among athletes or any sport that requires a high amount of engagement of the knees, ankles, or hips. Various sports like basketball or football which are highly dependent upon the knees and overall leg strength have a significant number of stress fracture cases.

A stress fracture which is also known as a hairline fracture is caused due to small cracks or bruises in the bone. This condition is not just limited to sports, others can get it too, basically, health conditions like osteoporosis which weakens the bones can cause cracks in our bones. This is usually observed in the bones which are responsible for taking up your body weight mainly putting stress on the legs and feet.

In this article, we will about the causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention techniques.

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What are the symptoms of a stress fracture?

Symptoms of this form of fracture (Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik)

The early signs of a stress fracture are not much of a surprise, it starts with pain in the affected area could be your knees, ankles, or feet. However, the situation worsens with time, and the intensity of the pain increases. Further, along with pain swelling is also accompanied with it.

The pain usually worsens when you are performing some high-impact work and significantly reduces when you rest. If the pain persists get medical advice from your healthcare expert.

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Understanding the causes

Wearing heels can also cause hairline fracture (Image by karlyukav on Freepik)

As discussed above the main cause of hairline fractures is due to overuse of bones. If you are new to some activity and you are pushing yourself too much by increasing the intensity of the activity will contribute to a fracture.

Our bones require enough time to heal and get in line with the stress or the extra load. In this process, there's the breaking and forming of bone tissue, giving your body sufficient time to heal and complete this process is necessary to avoid extra stress on our bones.

Changes in the workout routine, improper form during exercise, lack of nutrition like vitamin D deficiency or calcium deficiency, flat feet, or osteoporosis can be behind stress fractures.

Moreover, gymnasts, ballet dancers, or even dancing can contribute to stress fractures. Female athletes are also at higher risk of this condition as they may have the female athlete triad. A condition in which women experience lower bone density, eating disorders, and irregular periods.

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Prevention and Treatment

Make sure you don't exhaust your body while you are working out (Image by stefamerpik on Freepik)

Just like any other fracture, the treatments regarding stress fracture include wearing protective footwear, using crutches, or a cast can protect your legs from more damage. Surgery is not that common, however, it is indeed used by athletes for faster recovery.

Other than this, other home remedies can be used like the famous RICE method. This method is short for rest, ice, compression, and elevate. If you suspect a fracture, get rest, ice the affected area, wrap it with a bandage, and keep the injured leg elevated. For the pain, using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will suffice.

Now, coming to prevention. The best way to prevent this is to:

1. Inculcate changes in your workout routine slowly. Make sure you do not push yourself too much and overuse your bones.
2. Consume good food. A balanced diet is quite essential to maintain bone health.
3. Wear comfortable shoes.

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Stress fractures are not limited to athletes. This condition can happen to anyone, if you suspect it make sure you get medical attention soon. Consume a balanced diet and make sure your workout is right for you and not too overexerting.