Physical activity that keeps you healthy and active can also cause a stress injury. While inactivity isn’t good for your body, repetitive stress causes many common injuries, including stress fractures that can affect your bones.
These small cracks in your bones start small and continue to worsen as long as the stress goes on. If you don’t realize that the problem is there, you might end up with a much more severe fracture, taking more time to heal completely. That’s not something you want to find yourself dealing with unexpectedly.
So, how can you recognize stress fractures in the early stages? In this blog, highly skilled orthopaedic specialist and sports medicine provider Dr. Michael Blackwell offers an expert perspective. Dr. Blackwell treats new and existing patients at the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, located in Tomball, Kingwood, and Conroe, Texas.
You can suffer from a stress fracture anywhere in your body. However, some locations are more likely than others to experience this type of injury. If you run or put a lot of pressure on your lower body, you’re likely to see stress fractures in your leg or foot bones. If you bear a lot of weight or pressure on your arms or shoulders from a sport or due to heavy lifting, the bones in your arms and shoulders are at risk.
Often, stress fractures affect athletes. People who work physical jobs and people with weakened skeletons also carry a heightened risk. As you get older, your bones may lose density and become more prone to fractures, including stress fractures. That’s especially true for women, due to hormonal changes in the body after menopause.
It’s easy to dismiss a stress fracture at first, as your symptoms may be quite mild initially. Without care, though, the small cracks in the bone spread and deepen. You can even end up with a complete bone fracture. And, with the right care, you have a better chance of a full recovery with no lingering chronic pain.
Active individuals, or people with other risk factors for stress fractures, should watch out for early warning signs and symptoms. These include:
As the stress fracture becomes more severe, you may begin to experience symptoms of pain even when resting, or at night. Stress fractures in your lower body may result in a limp.
Once you notice these symptoms, don’t delay in seeking medical evaluation. The earlier you catch a stress fracture, the simpler your recovery.
If you suspect you might have a stress fracture, contact Dr. Blackwell at the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine to schedule your initial consultation appointment as soon as possible. Call now, or book your appointment online today.
