Again, the procedure usually is insured, but check first, because it can cost more than $1,000. Therefore, a follow-up MRI or CT scan sometimes is done. (It helps to have a doctor who is sensitive to a runner’s needs if you are in an HMO-type insurance program.) The bone scan will show the approximate site of a fracture however, it is not highly specific as to its exact location and extent. The cost, usually several hundred dollars, is almost always covered by insurance. The test usually is done at a hospital and involves an injection of dye into the arm, followed by a series of special X-rays taken at different time intervals, with the final one typically taken after three hours. Because the fracture is not completely through the bone, often it does not show up on traditional X-rays, and therefore a bone scan is a better way to detect the problem. If the pain is very focused on one area and becomes constant or worse during a run, then you should see a sports medicine specialist immediately. He paid the price of requiring surgery after the Games to place two screws across the fractured bone. Dave Johnson competed on a navicular (a bone on the top of the foot) stress fracture in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic decathlon, winning the bronze medal. Frank Shorter unknowingly ran on a stress fracture in his foot during his silver-medal winning marathon in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The pain will progress to the point where it is noticed more during the run, and become focused on a smaller area of the bone.ĭo not be fooled into thinking that your injury is a stress fracture only if you are unable to run. Left untreated, the muscles will continue to pull, and this may cause a crack to form in the bone. At this point it’s possible to prevent a stress fracture by responding to the developing problem: Stop running and see a sports medicine specialist. Shin splints occur when the muscles pull away from their attachment site along the inside of the tibia. The pain usually starts out over a large area along the shin bone, and is mainly noticed after a hard training session or race, or the morning after a long or difficult workout. A typical tibial stress fracture will initially be felt as “shin splints,” a catch-all term that refers to pain along the inside of the tibia. The most common site of a stress fracture in the lower body is the tibia or shin bone, followed by the metatarsals, the bones in the foot behind the toes. If the repeated strain is greater than the strength of the bone, then it will fracture. The injury has two main causes: too much repetitive stress on a bone and/or weakness of the bone, which can result from a number of different factors. Initially called march fractures, they were first noted in the 19th century in Prussian soldiers who marched too far or too often. What exactly is a stress fracture and why should it scare you? More importantly, what can you do to avoid a stress fracture, and to deal with one if it does occur?Ī stress fracture is a crack that does not go completely through the bone. The diagnosis usually means no running for at least four to six weeks. The words “stress fracture” strike fear into all runners.
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