A foot stress fracture is a tiny fracture, or crack, in one of the bones of the foot. Foot stress fractures typically happen to people who play many sports or do a lot of work on their feet. According to Chicagoland Foot and Ankle, foot stress fractures tend to occur in people who put repetitive stress on their feet.
What Are the Risks for a Stress Fracture?
Mayo Clinic explains that stress fractures to the foot happen when activity increases in intensity too quickly. If the bone cannot adapt slowly to an increased level of training or a more significant load through a process called remodeling, stress fractures are the result.
The risk factors for foot stress fractures include:
- High impact sports such as tennis, gymnastics, track and field, basketball, or dance
- Suddenly moving from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one
- Foot issues such as flat feet or high arches
- Weakened bones through conditions such as osteoporosis
- Having had a stress fracture in the past
- Deficiencies in Vitamin D and calcium
- Older age
- Low body mass or BMI (may cause weakness to the bones) or high BMI (increases the load on bones)
Overall, high activity levels that cause an increased strain on the feet are the most significant risk factor for foot stress fractures.
What Are the Signs of a Stress Fracture?
The most common symptom is pain at the location of the fracture. This pain may start as a slight, dull ache. It might worsen when you put weight on the affected area and improve with rest. If the fracture goes untreated, the pain may worsen significantly with time.
In some cases, the area around the stress fracture may appear bruised. You might find that your affected foot is weaker than the non-affected one and favor the healthy foot for walking. You might start changing your walking gait to avoid causing pain to the affected foot.
Diagnosis and Treatments for Foot Stress Fractures
The diagnosis is a visual examination of the affected area. To find the exact location of the fracture, your doctor may order an X-ray, MRI, or bone scan. This provides a picture of the bones of the foot, allowing them to pinpoint the fractured area.
Stress fracture foot treatments may involve your doctor putting the affected foot in a cast or prescribing a walking boot. They may also ask you to walk with a crutch to encourage healing of the bone. This is meant to immobilize the bone and reduce the weight on your foot so it can recover and heal.
To help with treatment, your doctor may ask you to completely stop the activity that caused the fracture, at least for a while. You should wait until your doctor gives you the okay before resuming sports or physical activities. This might also mean wearing a cast or a stabilizing boot or using crutches during this time.
You can purchase affordable braces, crutches, and walking boots on Simply Medical to help support the healing process of your foot stress fracture.