Stress Fractures

You're playing football and have the ball in your hands. You're almost at the goal line when a huge linebacker tackles you. You crumble to the ground inches away from your goal. Snap! Pain radiates through your ankle. What have you done? All you know is it hurts. What you have just experienced is one of the most common sport's injuries. They are called stress fractures. Overcoming this type of injury is very difficult, but with work, it can be done. A stress fracture is an injury caused from overusing muscles. When a muscle becomes fatigued and can't handle any more shock, it transfers the stress overload to the bone. This causes a tiny crack in the bone and this is known as a stress fracture. Women seem to be more susceptible to this type of injury than men. Some orthopedic surgeons have said this could be because of possible eating disorders, infrequent/abnormal periods, and osteoporosis. When a woman's bone mass decreases, the risk for a stress fracture goes up significantly. The majority of stress fractures occur in the lower leg and foot. Fifty percent of them occur in the lower leg. Several studies have indicated that tennis, football, basketball, and gymnastics athletes are more susceptible to stress fractures than those of a lot of the other sports. It is believed that the constant pounding from the foot hitting the ground is what causes the trauma. If the athlete doesn't get enough rest between events, they risk getting stress fractures. The most important treatment for a stress fracture is rest. It takes six to eight weeks for most stress fractures to heal and during that time the athlete doesn't need to participate in the activity that caused the trauma in the first place. They need to engage in a pain free activity during the healing time. If they pick up the activity that caused the fracture to begin with before they are truly ready, stress fractures that are a lot harder to heal from can be caused. If they injure the bone again, then it could lead to long-term, chronic problems. To prevent this from happening, there are a few tips to go by. First, slowly return to the activity that injured you to begin with. And gradually build up activity in anything new, like running or jogging. Eat a healthy diet and make sure you get enough calcium to help aid in strong bones. If it becomes painful or swells, stop what you are doing immediately and rest for a few days. If the pain continues, seek medical attention immediately. Stress Management Technique.