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May 9, 2024 · Symptoms of a metatarsal stress fracture include: Pain in the forefoot that develops gradually over time. Pain is usually located towards the middle, or front of the foot. Symptoms are made worse with weight-bearing activities such as walking, running or dancing. Your foot will be tender to touch.
- Overview
- What causes a stress fracture in the foot?
- How do you know you have a stress fracture?
- How is a stress fracture diagnosed?
- How is a stress fracture in the foot treated?
- Can you walk on a stress fracture?
- The bottom line
A stress fracture of the foot is a tiny crack in one of the bones in your foot. It’s most commonly caused by overuse and usually not the result of falls or other accidents. In fact, you might not even realize you have a stress fracture until days after the injury occurs.
Often, stress fractures develop after intense athletic training or competition. They’re more common in the weight-bearing bones of the lower legs and feet.
A stress fracture in the foot most often happens when you rapidly increase your activity level or the amount of time spent on your feet.
Typically, your bones adapt to changes in pressure or activity gradually. This process is called remodeling.
Remodeling causes some bone tissue to be destroyed and rebuilt to accommodate the new activity. For instance, this is part of the change your body undergoes when you begin a new fitness routine.
However, when change happens too rapidly, it can cause bone tissues to be destroyed faster than your body is able to replace them. This can leave your bones very fragile. When your bones are fragile, they are at a higher risk of a stress fracture.
Certain other factors can also increase your risk for a stress fracture, such as:
•having osteoporosis or other conditions that cause weakened bones
Stress fractures can be difficult to notice. It might take several days before you feel pain in your foot. The pain often decreases while you’re resting and gets worse when walking.
Symptoms of a stress fracture in the foot can include:
•a swollen foot
•a bruised foot
•a tender foot
•pain that feels worse when you walk, run, or stand for an extended time
A doctor will go over your symptoms and your medical history. They’ll also examine your foot for bruising, swelling, and tenderness. In most cases, they’ll order imaging tests of your foot.
Unlike standard breaks and fractures, stress fractures are often not visible on an X-ray. Instead of an X-ray, your doctor may order an MRI scan.
The treatment plan for a stress fracture depends on the severity of the fracture.
You can treat some stress fractures can with rest and pain medications. More severe stress fractures may require surgery. You and your doctor can discuss which options are most appropriate for you.
Common treatments for stress fractures in the foot include:
•Rest: A doctor will typically advise you to avoid putting weight on your foot for 6 to 8 weeks while your stress fracture heals. Your doctor may give you a list of safe activities you can do during this time.
•Ice: Ice can help reduce swelling in your foot and relieve pain.
•Elevation: Elevating your foot at night and while sitting may minimize swelling and help drain excess fluid.
It’s not a good idea to walk on a stress fracture. Walking and putting weight on a stress fracture in your foot can worsen the injury and possibly cause the bone to break completely.
Your doctor will let you know when it’s safe to resume your usual activities. If you try to take on too much before your injury is fully healed, you could re-injure yourself. It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for proper healing.
As you heal, you’ll be allowed to resume some types of activities. Once you’re able to walk, your doctor may recommend avoiding very long walks or not walking on very hard surfaces for a few more weeks.
In general, it takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal a stress fracture of the foot. However, severe stress fractures can take much longer.
A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone caused by overuse. A stress fracture in the foot is a common injury among some types of athletes and people who start exercising too quickly after being inactive for a long time.
The bone crack caused by a stress fracture is so small that many people don’t notice it at first. It can take several days to start feeling the pain.
It’s important to get treatment for a stress fracture in the foot. Ignoring the injury can make it worse and could lead to a full break of the fractured bone.
Treatment often includes rest, ice, and medication to manage the pain. Surgery usually isn’t necessary, but it may be needed for severe fractures of the foot.
People also ask
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May 20, 2021 · Stress fractures are tiny cracks in a bone. They're caused by repetitive force, often from overuse — such as repeatedly jumping up and down or running long distances. Stress fractures can also develop from normal use of a bone that's weakened by a condition such as osteoporosis. Stress fractures are most common in the weight-bearing bones of ...
Dec 15, 2021 · A metatarsal stress fracture is a fracture to one of the metatarsal bones—the long bones in the foot that connect your heel and arch to your toes—and occurs due to repeated stress or injury. This is different from an acute fracture, which is when you break a bone suddenly due to an accident, fall, or collision.
May 23, 2023 · Some of the most common causes of stress fractures include: Practicing or training too often without resting enough. Starting a new sport or physical activity without the right training, guidance or equipment. Quickly increasing your activity level (suddenly ramping up workouts, training or other physical activity).
Mar 25, 2023 · Stress fractures. Similar symptoms to acute metatarsal fractures (above), although there is usually no bruising and no cracking sound. At first, the main symptom may just be pain in the foot during exercise that is relieved by rest. The pain tends to be widespread and diffuse in the foot.
Stress Fracture of the Talus. The talus is one of the bones in the heel of the foot. It is an uncommon bone to be affected by stress fracture. When it does occur, however, it can cause pain in the heel or ankle. Stress Fracture of the Sesamoids. The sesamoids are two small bones located in the ball of the foot, beneath the joint of the big toe.
