Do You Know About Stress Fracture, A Very Common Sports Injury

Find out about what stress fractures are and how to prevent them from occurring.

You might have heard athletes/ sportsmen or sports enthusiast talk about stress fractures and how either they or someone they know has gotten that injury. Ever understood what it means?

In order to understand how to prevent a stress fracture, it is important to know what a stress fracture is and how it is caused.

Let’s get right into it.

What is a stress fracture and how is it cause?

A stress fracture is a very common sports injury. Very simply put, stress fractures are tiny cracks in the bone. They are caused by a repetitive application of force on a particular region in the body.

When a muscle in your body is very tired and fails to absorb any more shock from repeated impact, these forces are transmitted to the bone which then causes time cracks in the bone.

Stress factors are common in the load and weight-bearing regions of the body like the shins, feet and ankle. This is because these regions get loaded the most while being physically active and have to absorb a great deal of shock.

Now, the golden question: How can one prevent stress fractures from occurring?

Nobody likes getting injurie, specially athletes. Stress fractures are injuries that may take longer to heal leaving people in a compromised position. It takes up to 6-8 weeks to heal completely. To ensure the prevention of stress fractures, follow these steps:

-Gradually increase your training/exercise regime:

We all would love to be able to run for miles and miles together. But this does not happen overnight, so do not try to. It takes time to increase your speed, time and endurance and the right way to do it is gradually.

Doing everything all at once will cause you more harm than good. Every week increase your training gradually and carefully in order to prevent injuries like stress fractures.

-Use the right footwear:

While playing or sport or running, footwear is extremely important. This is because if you use the right kind of shoe or the wrong size or even continue to use a shoe that has been overused and is old, you can damage your body. Make sure for the right sport, the right footwear is used.

-Maintain a good/nutritious diet:

Having a balanced and home cooked meal is very important for overall health. Make sure you get to eat foods that are rich in vitamin D and calcium to help you from getting stress fractures in the futures. Things like calcium and vitamin D will make your bones stronger so that they can sustain long hours to training and exercise.

-Check your form and technique:

Whether it is running or playing a sport, knowing that you are doing it with the correct form is of much importance. Doing an exercise incorrectly can tend to load the muscles and joints excessively which will then lead to injuries like stress fractures.

-Stop if there is pain or swelling:

When your body is in pain or you notice there is swelling in an area, that is a way that your body is telling you to stop what you are doing and give it a rest. It is very important you listen to your body specially if you like to be active and exercise frequently.

-If the pain does not stop, go to the doctor:

Making the mistake of ignoring the pain and trying to go back to your normal routine is something you may regret. Going to the doctor if pain continues as early as possible will help you cure your injuries faster. If you are showing the typical symptoms of having a stress fracture, it is better to get it checked out.

Watch this video to know more about the prevention of stress fractures:

Conclusion:

Stress fractures can set you back and put you out of the game by 6-8 weeks, better than that is to change these habits as soon as possible.