Stress fracture

They usually affect the lower body: feet, toes, shins, femurs and sacrum, but not exclusively. If you are an athlete who uses your upper body (tennis, cross-country skiing, climbing, etc.), you may find yourself with this upper body problem. There are many causes: poor nutrition (lack of calcium and other minerals), training frequency too high, without giving the body enough time to adapt, poor posture, changes in biomechanics, etc.

It is important to diagnose it properly because these micro cracks can become a complete fracture. How do they manifest themselves? Normally you will feel progressive muscle pain, stiffness and bone pain in the affected area.

If this is the case, it is recommended that you stop training and consult your family doctor or physiotherapist. They will be able to assess whether there are stress fractures on x-rays or other techniques, because not all stress fractures show up on x-rays. Since 2016 physiotherapists have been able to refer directly to specialists for x-rays if they deem them necessary, while keeping the family physician informed. Following the assessment, if there is a stress fracture, you will need to stop training to allow your body to complete the healing process.

So how can your Guindon Health professionals help you? They can diagnose and recommend the appropriate treatment in conjunction with the family physician. Also, the best way to heal a stress fracture is to prevent it. If you are starting a training program, come see us to validate your biomechanics. Both in your shoes (for runners) and in your movement. Also, an osteopathic assessment can help to see if your body is aligned and balanced.

The same goes for athletes who are in the training process. Our team can help you analyze your biomechanics (shoes too worn, non-optimal movement, unhealed injury, deficient motor chain, etc. ….), along with your training frequency and recovery.

Also our naturopath can help you maximize your nutritional intake to maximize your recovery.