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Stress fracture anyone?

TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
in General Chat
Hello all!



Well it seems my comedy run of injuries has hit a new high, stress fracture of the neck of femur [:(] and to think I was hoping of doing clumber park in a month or so!



So has anyone else had a stress fracture, how did you get on?

Comments

  • BoycieBoycie Posts: 189
    Not good news I'm afraid. I had a stress fracture in my left tibia after too much running around in the army. It took 6 months to heal, by that time I had over-compensated so much I had exactly the same in the right leg. That took another 6 months and guess what, I then got it back in the left leg. 18 months all told, although there were periods of respite in between. I don't think the treatment I had was top class so I hope you recover quicker.



    David.
  • BmanBman Posts: 442
    The infamous stress fracture! I picked up one in my right tibia while marathon training. Funny how you just think its your muscles playing up. Only after the race, some mountain walking and hassling from the wife, did I try to get the speedy help of the NHS.



    1 year on..after tryng crutches, turned out the only thing for it was 6 weeks of time at home, non-weight bearing (thank god for wimbledon on TV) and an air-cast boot and crutches when going to buy chocolates. Probably the most frustrating time of my sporting life. But has to be done unfortunately or it just never heals properly. Just dont break the sofa like I did..



    But once set, you are also 70% more likely to get it again apparently, so thats where the rehab starts. Loads of stretching and strengthening the muscles around the injury to prevent it happening again. I also forced myself to cut running distances down and try cross training, and the result: a triathlete!



    So not all bad.
  • ardkeenardkeen Posts: 152
    Ask Paula Radcliffe. As above bad news but if your not a great swimmer you could use the rest time to work on the swim. Should be ok and might preserve some of your aerobic fitness without the weight load on the hip. Suggest you take it very seriously. Did you attend a sports medicine specialist ?
  • Physical FixPhysical Fix Posts: 13
    Absolutely correct to take 6 weeks off training, seek advice for total non weight bearing or partial weight bearing as it depends on the location and severity of the stress fracture, your age, bone density etc etc.



    Bone re-models itself continually, there are two main cells, fibroblasts and fibroclasts, one acts like a pacman eating up old, dead or ineffective bone tissue (clasts) while the other (blasts) lay down new bone... when we place a new stress on our bodies, then this remodelling speeds up and so at about 3 weeks after the new stress, (eg: increase in training) there is a period of weakness whilst the remodelling as described catches up with itself... its is then that the most likely event of a stress fracture will occur.



    The new bone is formed where needed and will also build more strength at points of addtional stress, so that is why load bearing exercise is great for bone density, but with the information above, we need to be carefull how quickly we increase training and give adequate rest.



    Getting a stress fracture doesnt mean the end of training however, aqua jogging is amazing and many of my clients have recovered from a stress fracture having aqua jogged most days and actually then ran PB's shortly after their return.



    Training is all about providing your body with a new physical stress and its adaptation to that stress will improve the physical function. There is no doubt that performing the actual specific exercise is the best way (i.e running) but there so many other ways to train the muscles and the heart and lungs that will benefit you once your fracture is completely fixed.



    The 6 weeks relates to the phases the bone remodelling goes through, you can look these up and the time scales, but here is a great link which help you with your rehab http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=164361



    I hope this has been of some help.



  • LegacyUserLegacyUser Posts: 0
    Im guessing BOYCIE your rehab would have been Tubie Grip and Movolat? [:D]



    TommiTri, hope you get on the road to recovery soon, my trouble's took year's of physio so I know its not gonna be an easy or quick route back [&o]
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