Poor Footwear
One major cause of stress fractures is wearing inappropriate footwear for your chosen activities. Whether you’re a dedicated runner pounding the pavement daily or chasing kids around the playground, wearing shoes without proper support leaves your feet vulnerable. Ill-fitted, overly flexible, or overly worn shoes can all undermine the natural shock absorption of your feet and transfer too much force to the bone. Investing in properly fitted athletic shoes designed for your sport is well worth it to keep bones healthy under impact.
Sudden Increases in Activity
Stress fractures frequently happen when people rapidly increase their training regimen. This could apply to a beginning runner pushing the pace and distance too aggressively or a basketball player jumping into a tough summer league after time off. Stress fractures occur because your muscular, ligament, and cardiovascular systems adapt quicker than dense bone tissue when activity levels change. Be patient and gradual when upping mileage or intensity to give bone density time to catch up.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Insufficient intake of vitamin D and calcium is also linked to a higher incidence of stress fractures, especially among female athletes. Vitamin D plays an integral role in bone health and calcium absorption, while calcium is literally the building block for skeletal integrity. Boost your dietary sources of these nutrients through supplements if needed, and pay attention to any potential absorption issues, like gastrointestinal conditions or eating disorders, which could undermine bone density.
Additional Risk Factors
Other issues that raise stress fracture risks include muscle imbalances or weaknesses that alter gait biomechanics, menstrual disturbances like amenorrhea, which disrupt hormonal bone support, and underlying conditions that diminish bone density like osteopenia or osteoporosis. It is always wise to address these foundational health issues to fortify your bones before they cause problems.
Prevent the Pain
While high-impact activities do carry inherent injury risks, you can sidestep stress fractures with smart training choices, proper nutrition, and supportive footwear. Should foot or leg pain emerge, do not ignore early warning signs. Seek professional care from our orthopedic specialists at Orthopedic Associates of Long Island to catch and treat bone injuries before they progress to true fractures. Our team has the experience to diagnose these injuries and guide appropriate healing. Call our Long Island office today at 631-689-6698 to schedule an appointment for attentive, customized care.
