Sections

  • Stress Fractures
  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment

Are you a runner concerned about stress fractures? Are you concerned a stress fracture may prevent you from progressing in your workouts or athletic ambitions? Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), the all-natural alternative, may be the answer for you.

Studies have shown:

  • Significant decrease in the incidence of stress fractures is observed in athletes after receiving OMT.

A stress fracture is described as a small crack in the bone that occurs from overuse. It commonly develops in weight-bearing bones of the lower leg and foot. When the muscles of the foot are overworked or stressed, they are unable to absorb the stress. The muscles then transfer the stress to the bone, which results in a stress fracture.

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Stress fractures are caused by a rapid increase in the intensity of exercise. Other causes include impact on a hard surface, improper footwear, and increased physical activity. Athletes participating in certain sports such as long distance running, basketball, tennis, or gymnastics are at a greater risk of developing stress fractures. An athlete with inadequate rest between workouts may also develop stress fractures.

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The most common symptom is pain in the extremity, which usually gets worse during exercises and decreases upon resting. Swelling, bruising and tenderness may also occur at a specific point.

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Stress fractures can be diagnosed by reviewing symptoms, risk factors, and performing a thorough physical examination. Some diagnostic tests, such as X-ray’s, may be required to confirm the fracture.

 

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Stress fractures are usually treated by a non-surgical approach, which includes:

  • Rest: Decreasing or avoiding the activities that worsen the pain.
  • Limiting physical activities that involve the foot and ankle.
  • Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) may be included into the treatment plan for managing and preventing stress fractures.
  • Protective footwear: Your doctor may recommend protective footwear to reduce stress on the foot. A cast and crutches may be used for immobilization during the healing process..
  • Surgery is very rare but may be required if the fracture does not heal completely by conservative treatment.
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Osteopath treatment for Stress Fractures

Here are 3 reasons to speak to us

  • You thought it would go away on it’s own – but it didn’t
  • You are looking for credible healthcare alternatives – but just don’t know what is out there
  • You tried other Healthcare Professionals in the past, but nothing they said or did seemed to help

Click the link below to book a call with us if you would like to get some solid advice. Our goal is to help you make the right decision about what to do next.

Frequently asked questions

  • New patients

What should I wear to my appointments?

Loose-fitting clothing or gym clothes

  • All
  • New patients

How many visits will I need?

This is variable depending upon what is being treated and how extensive your treatment needs to be.  Our goal is to bring you to optimal health so that you won’t need to continually return.

  • All

What is the difference between licensing and board certification for a physician, and do you have any of these?

Physicians are required to be licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. by the licensing board in each state they wish to practice.

A board certified physician has completed an additional training program in a specialty and has passed a rigorous exam to assess his or her knowledge, skills and experience to provide quality patient care in that specialty.

In my case, I am licensed to practice medicine in Texas, and I have two board certifications. The first one is Family Medicine and the second one is Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.

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