![]() Warm up and cool down adequately around training sessions.Have your gait and stride assessed by a professional.Increase mileage slowly, no more than 10% each week.Use cross-training to break up your training schedule.Replace your running shoes every 500 miles maximum, or rotate two pairs.In any case, your training plan will be on the shelf for 4-12 weeks, depending on the severity of the injury. You may find yourself in a foot-supporting cast to reduce pressure on the bones. After seeking a diagnosis from a doctor (an x-ray will only show significant breaks – an MRI may be required to see smaller ones), there isn’t much to do but rest. There is little to be done to treat a metatarsal stress fracture. If you cover too many miles or try significant speed increases without proper build up, the muscles surrounding the bones are unprepared to absorb the extra shock, which leaves the bones vulnerable to impact.Īdditionally, inherent bone weaknesses caused by arthritis or osteoporosis, or a poor gait can also contribute to stress fractures in the lower body. Like many common running injuries, a metatarsal stress fracture is often caused by increasing your running load too quickly. ![]() What causes a metatarsal stress fracture? If you think you have any of these symptoms see a medical professional promptly, as a metatarsal stress fracture has the potential to become a complete fracture (a completely broken bone). Watch out for tenderness to the touch and any swelling. Initially it may fade after you stop running, but eventually it will develop into a persistent pain that can make it uncomfortable to walk. You may notice a pain that develops in the broad part of your foot while running. How to identify a metatarsal stress fracture Here are the ways to identify, treat and prevent metatarsal stress fractures while running. Connecting the ankle to the toes, the metatarsals are surprisingly vulnerable to stress fracture. A metatarsal stress fracture can occur in the metatarsal bones – the long thin bones in the feet. They are most commonly found in shins and sometimes hips, but feet are not immune. If you are experiencing pain in your forefoot give us a call at 40 or schedule an appointment online.Stress fractures occur as tiny breaks in bones. Our examination involves orthopedic, muscle length, functional tests and gait analysis to determine the cause of your metatarsalgia or metatarsal stress fracture pain. The doctors have treated many cases of foot pain in runners and non runners alike. Behm Muscle & Joint Clinic – Treating running injuries since 2015īehm Muscle & Joint Clinic is a chiropractic, rehabilitation and soft tissue clinic located in Bellevue, NE. Active individuals who enjoy participating in higher impact activities should maintain adequate vitamin D levels to reduce their risk of stress fractures. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone health. The toe flexors help to prevent excessive stress onto the metatarsal bones when running and help to distribute forces through the foot. Metatarsals are also more prone to injury with weakness of the toe muscles. ![]() Tight calf causing metatarsal stress fractures Individuals with tight calves are 4.6x more likely to fracture their metatarsals than a more flexible calf. The image on the right shows a normal flexible calf and normal stress through the forefoot. Take a look at the photo below, the image on the left shows a tight calf and premature heel lift causing high stress to the metatarsal bones into the ground. Several factors play an important role in increasing your risk of developing forefoot pain and metatarsal stress fractures.Ī tight calf while running will cause the heel to lift early driving the forefoot into the ground with excessive force. Metatarsalgia is more common in the second and third metatarsal bones and the third and forth are more common sites for stress fractures. X-rays for stress fractures within the first week of injury often times are useless as the early stages are too faint to detect. ![]() Distinguishing between the two if you are experiencing pain in the forefoot can be difficult. Given the excessive forces put through the front of the foot (up to 7x the body weight) during running the metatarsals are a common site of injury. Metatarsalgia and metatarsal stress fractures in running They are the second most common type of stress fracture just second the tibial stress fractures. Metatarsal stress fractures occur when the metatarsal bones fracture. Metatarsalgia is a condition in which the ball of your foot becomes painful and inflamed due to the bruising of the bones themselves. Metatarsal injuries are common in activities that involve running and jumping. Metatarsalgia and Metatarsal stress fractures ![]()
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