Stress fractures consist of small cracks in a bone. Caused by a trauma that by itself is not capable of breaking the bone, but if repeated at a certain frequency, it can fatigue the bone and fracture it..
They are caused by repetitive activity that puts stress on a single point. An example would be jumping from one point to another repeatedly or running long distances.
This type of fracture is most common in weight-bearing bones, i.e., the legs and feet. Typically, athletes and people who carry heavy loads are more likely to experience a stress fracture, but this doesn't mean that the average person isn't likely to suffer one.
This problem can also arise when starting a new exercise program for which you are not prepared, or even in a person who performs a specific activity without being prepared for it (a long walk for a sedentary person).
Symptoms
The initial symptom is usually pain. These fractures, unlike fractures caused by major trauma, generally do not impede the use of the foot or leg or the affected area.
El dolor tiende a empeorar a medida que el tiempo transcurre, sobre todo si se sigue haciendo la actividad que lo causó (running por ejemplo). Normally, the pain starts at a specific point but when the person is at rest the pain decreases.. It is also possible that the affected area may have swelling accompanied by a bruise.
Causes
One of the main causes of stress fractures is usually a sudden increase in the intensity of a sporting activity or activity that requires resisting a load (lower limbs) or significant force (upper limbs).
Therefore, bones tend to gradually adapt to carrying a greater weight than they are normally accustomed to. This process, called remodeling, is where bone tissue deforms to reform with greater strength. This is its way of adapting to the new load.
There are some cases in which bones are not prepared to receive a powerful force or are not given enough time to remodel to adapt to those forces, thus causing a stress fracture.
Risk Factors
Factors that may increase the risk of stress fractures include the following:
- Some sports: They are more prone to high-impact sports activities, such as dance, athletics, basketball, etc.
- Lifestyle change: People who lead a sedentary lifestyle are not accustomed to or physically capable of performing certain high-intensity activities or frequent, active training sessions.
- Sex: Women are at greater risk of stress fractures, especially those with abnormal menstrual periods.
- People who have already had foot problems, such as flat feet or high arches are more likely to end up with a stress fracture.
- Inappropriate footwear: may also increase the risk
- Previous stress fractures: that have not finished curing correctly.
- Lack of nutrients: Whether due to eating disorders or a lack of vitamin D and calcium, these can facilitate the development of stress fractures.
Complications
When a previous stress fracture has not healed properly and the bone continues to be exposed to the loads that caused the injury, it can progress to an acute complete fracture with simple trauma or to a fracture that "doesn't heal" or, the correct term would be, one that doesn't consolidate, resulting in a pseudoarthrosis, which causes chronic pain.
Such are the examples of:
Stress fractures of the tibia can easily lead to complete fractures, easily displaced in a traumatizing manner, as happened to Guaje Villa, who suffered a fracture during a soccer match without being hit, falling while running for his own life, requiring surgery to treat the serious injury.
Among the fractures that "don't stick" are the dreaded fractures of the base of the 5th metatarsal, which Neymar Junior suffered at the time (but in an acute, not chronic form), in which the bone is unable to heal (consolidate) the fracture, and produces chronic pain (due to pseudoarthrosis).
Prevention
Some tips to help you prevent stress fractures:
- Little by littleIf you want to make changes, you should do so slowly and progressively to give the tissue time to adapt to a new, intense exercise rhythm. It's not recommended to increase the intensity by more than 10% per week.
- Appropriate footwearAll footwear should be appropriate for the activity you intend to perform. If you have flat feet, you should ask your doctor about arch supports in your shoes that would be best for you.
- Variety of workouts: Carry out different low-impact activities to avoid repetitive stress that can cause you
- Proper nutrition: : have a proper diet to maintain strong bones, as we have said before you need a lot of vitamin D and calcium.
