Stress Fractures

A stress fracture is sometimes called a “marching” fracture because they are commonly seen in military recruits as a result of too much marching exercise. A stress fracture is an incomplete “crack” of a bone in the body. A common area for them to occur on the foot is at the metatarsal bones. These are the long, skinny bones in the foot, located behind the toes at the midfoot.

There are several types of people who are at risk for a stress fracture. Those who perform high impact activities such as basketball, running, dance or playing football. People with weakened or softer bones are also more likely to experience this injury. Sometimes you may not even remember any injury to the foot. The pain is usually most severe while placing weight on the foot and is better when resting.

To accurately diagnose this problem you may need to see a specialist such as Dr. Teufel. You may need X-rays to determine what exactly is happening to the bones. If there is a stress fracture, the treatment may be placing the patient into a walking boot for a few weeks and taking anti-inflammatory medication. However, if there is a break causing the bone to shift into an abnormal position, then casting, or even surgery, may be required to properly heal the bone in a straight position. To schedule an appointment, click here.