Stress Fracture Foot Prevention

Stress fracture foot injuries are an all too common problem not just with athletes but with anyone who enjoys a healthy and active lifestyle.  They are frequently the result of overdoing, and from pushing the body too hard not allowing sufficient time for recovery. Whenever a new exercise routine or sport is undertaken, the body needs to have a period of time to adjust, building up strength in little used muscles and improving overall stamina.

When the body is pushed too far, the muscles, which normally do an excellent job of cushioning shockwaves, start to fail. Bone is then made to take more of the impact force, and the strain can trigger a fracture. Stress fracture foot injuries are usually developed over time, with minor fractures developing which weaken the bones leading to more serious fractures and breaks. 

Whilst overuse may be the most common cause, many people are prone to this type of injury. Stress fracture foot and lower leg fractures can be caused by factors which leave people exposed to injury. There are many stress fracture symptoms which make diagnosis straightforward, even though stress fractures rarely show up on x-ray analysis, unless healing has already started. Pain in the top of the foot, in the heel, tenderness, pain lasting for more than a few weeks and pain on exercise are all common with fractures. 

One of the most common causes is a disorder or disease which leads to the poor formation of bone. Poor nutrition, low calcium diet, vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, anorexia, bulimia, and irregular periods are all high risk factors.

Prevention is the best treatment requiring small changes to improve diet, ideally by eating a healthy and well balanced range of foods including calcium and vitamin D rich foodstuffs. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium which is required for strong and healthy bone formation. Sunlight allows the body to synthesize vitamin D, with cheese, fortified milk and fish all being good vitamin D sources.  Taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement will help to ensure the correct levels of minerals although they should never be a replacement for a healthy diet.

To help prevent stress fracture foot problems, it is vital to replace trainers regularly and to buy quality footwear designed specifically for your preferred activity. Over time, even high quality footwear sees degradation of the EVA foam cushioning, making the muscles work harder with fatigue setting in far quicker.  In cases of leg length discrepancy, which causes an uneven walking gait, additional pressures are placed on the bones and muscles increasing the risk. Wearing a custom orthotic or heel insert to correct the imbalance is a wise choice. Purchasing training shoes with a removable sockliner allows for heel inserts and custom orthotics to be used.

When starting out on a new exercise routine, or increasing the activity, duration or frequency, make sure that adequate time is factored in for the body to adjust. Changes should be incorporated incrementally to prevent injuries from occurring, and a full warm up and warm down routine will ensure that the muscles are working efficiently and given the best chance of a quick recovery.