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What can you tell me about stress fractures these days? When I was an athlete, this seemed to be a rarity. But now with three teenage girls in the family and all involved in various sports, dance, and gymnastics, we are starting to see these crop up.
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A stress fracture is a hairline crack in the bone that can grow larger over time if not treated properly. What you have noticed about the rise in stress fractures is very accurate. Stress fractures were once most common among military personnel who marched and ran day after day.
But today, stress fractures are on the rise in athletes, from distance runners and sprinters to skaters, hurdlers, and tennis, volleyball, soccer, and basketball players. Dancers and gymnasts are not immune either. Men and women in these two sports who train more than five hours a day have been shown to be 16 times more likely to develop a stress fracture.
Besides being a soldier or an athlete, being a female in either of these groups increases the risk of a stress fracture. Other risk factors include biomechanics (alignment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg), muscles mass and strength, and bone density and bone geometry (shape, thickness).
For women who are overtraining while also limiting calories, a better balance of eating and nutrition may be helpful. Females who have an eating disorder or disordered eating are common among athletes where "lean is mean" (a desired state of body and mind) in some sports. In such cases, nutritional and behavioral counseling are advised.
Training schedules can also be reviewed and altered if training is too much, too often, too long, or too intense. A sudden change in the athlete's training routine (increased intensity and/or duration) is the biggest training error leading to stress fractures. Gradual increases in training may be able to avoid this mistake.
Muscle mass and muscle strength can be increased with a strength training program. Smaller muscles and muscle fatigue may result in an increase in the force placed on the bone with activity. Women may be at increased risk of tibial (lower leg bone) stress fractures because the female's calf muscle just isn't as large as the male's.
For girls or women who experience a stress fracture (and especially if there has been more than one), some additional laboratory tests may be needed. Your doctor can advise you specifically but ask about a DEXA (bone density) scan, thyroid test, and hormone testing. There may be some additional body chemistry factors that will show up with testing and that could be managed more carefully in preventing further stress fractures.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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