I read an article recently about stress fractures in the foot and saw two stress fractures the same day in the clinic. The article described a few different locations where we see them. However, almost all the stress fractures we see here in the clinic occur in the front part of the foot. We see metatarsal stress fractures every week.
They are tiny fractures that occur with repetitive trauma to the foot through normal activities. It seems like we see a lot of them in the new year as folks gear up to lose weight by increased exercise. The fractures rarely show up on x-ray but they do a nice job of keeping us from being able to walk without pain.
Folks often delay treatment for weeks and even months. They think that nagging pain will just go away if they ignore it and exercise a little less. Unfortunately, they don’t go away and need more rest and less exercise, and even less normal walking.
What to Do About Stress Fractures
Most fractures will heal in a cam walker or “boot” that allows the bone to heal while allowing you to continue to get around without crutches. The longer you delay treatment the harder it is to get them to heal. Some even require a hard cast and crutches if the delay in treatment is too long. The good news is that they rarely require surgery and almost always disappear to never return.
We recommend good shoes and orthotics to prevent stress fractures and other injuries that can occur. I always have a good list of recommended shoes and a number of good options for orthotics here in the office for people who are interested. Don’t live life with a stress fracture. Come in and see us today if you’ve got some nagging pain that just won’t get better after a few days of good rest.
Don’t Live Life in Pain! Call us today for an appointment at 505.880.1000. We take care of your feet…so that they’ll take care of you!