Stress fracture

In second metatarsal somewhere.Anyone had similar? What`s the usual length of time to recover?

6-8 weeks for mine.

I tried to run on it earlier. It let me know it was too soon.....

I couldn't even spin. The spin shoe hurt my foot as I pulled up on it clipped in and if I DIDN'T clip in, then the strap sat on the fracture.

I ended up not even being able to stand swimming because the water touching my foot as I kicked was painful.

So I sat and sulked instead.

Six to eight weeks. When you think it's healed, try the "hop test" - that is, can you hop up and down on that leg. If you prepare to try this and somthing inside you screams "no! no!" then don't do it - it's too soon.

I was able to use a stationary bicycle (and an ordinary one) right from the start so long as I had footwear with a rigid sole, and I was careful ('cos it was my left foot, which is the one I normally put down when I stop the bike).

To actually recover takes months. To recover enough to be able to start running varies. For me, it was about four months. They say when you can walk briskly for an hour without any pain you're ready to run.

Thanks W, that makes sense. Physio said run for what I can do without pain so may do 15 minutes or so this weekend.

My stress fracture was healed after six weeks. The extensor tendonitis I'd got at the same time took a couple more months and a number of physio sessions plus lots of appropriate exercises.

If you can, run on grass/soft surface, not concrete/tarmac/pavement.

I had a tibial stress fracture (it probably matters where the fracture is in terms of recovery, the further away from your heart, the longer its likely to take as there is less circulation. Less circulation = slower mending and so slower recovery. You can help boost recovery through movement and massage but obviously use common sense. Impact and pressing on the fracture itself probably wont aid your recovery.

Mind took about 6-8 months to go, I wasn't able to run and lived in trainers (at home was either barefoot or in slippers) I also had one sports massage and kept up exercise in the form of cross trainers and stairmasters. I didn't run.

I don't know how much it differs from person to person but age and any previous medical issues would alter things. My stress fracture had first begun to hurt 2 years before it was diagnosed, basicly no one did a scan and assumed I was making it up, exercises suggested actually would have made it worse and I also have weakened bones so things would have gone wrong far more easily then otherwise.

I was told if you can hop 20 times without pain your good to go, well I'd not risk doing this. When things recover they do so slowly and gradually, hopping is basicly testing it at its worst before you've even warmed into things. I'd say when you feel no more pain and thing your OK, try going for a SLOW run and on grass or a treadmill which is less harsh then pavements and roads. As soon as you feel any pain at all, any twinges, stop. Its not something that shouts at you until you've stopped your run and even the next day I've found and can even be over-ridden with the strong desire to just get back to running again. Its not worth letting it go just for the small milage you'll manage as you'll only end up resting even longer afterwards.

Also, up your protein intake and make sure your getting a range of protein (eg not just all from dairy or all from meat) protein is an essential part of your bodies ability to repair itself. Also make sure your drinking enough. Water is essential to keeping your circulation working properly.

Other Half wrote (see)

Wife had stress # of femur in February.
Slow progress but she has just completed first marathon (Langdale) since #

Still painful after some runs. Fear is getting a 2nd #

Please tell her to be careful- pain is a warning and a second SF in the same place will always be more likely as the recovered spot will always be weaker then the rest of the bone and wont take much.

 I hope your wife has worked out what caused it and has altered things in respect so she is less likely of a repeat. If it happened once it is likely to happen again unless things change. Like I said, pain is a warning.

I thought the recovered spot was meant to be stronger due to the new additional bone growth around the fracture site ?