How Are Stress Fractures Diagnosed?
Risk factors must be taken into consideration when diagnosing patients with stress fractures. People who experience pain in their feet and legs after physical activity that can be relieved with rest, combined with redness, tenderness and painful range of motion can all be signs of a stress fracture.
X-rays aren't always 100% accurate at finding stress fractures, especially during their early stages. However, they can show signs of bone formation, thickening, and fracture lines, which can indicate a stress fracture.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the most effective way to diagnose stress fractures. The procedure is able to detect stress reactions, which are areas of bone where stress fractures are likely to occur.
How Do I Get Rid of a Stress Fracture?
The most effective treatment for a stress fracture is rest which allows the small bone crack to heal. When people with stress fractures don't rest, they face an increased risk of breaking the affected bones, in addition to worsening pain and reduced mobility and range of motion.
It's important for people with stress fractures to get an early diagnosis so that they can begin to rest and allow their cracked bones to heal. Athletes can also begin changing their training regimens to lower-impact exercises that will reduce or eliminate stress on their stress fractures.
Wearing a fracture or walking boot can also help minimize stress on cracked bones while walking.
Do I Have Shin Splints, a Stress Fracture or Neither?
When runners develop pain in their lower legs, they often attribute it to shin splints. However, it could be a stress fracture.
The pain that results from shin splints is from the inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your shin. It can be difficult to determine if you have shin splints, a stress fracture or another condition that causes pain--such as tendonitis or compartment syndrome--without the help of a doctor and the diagnostic imaging from an X-ray or MRI.