How long till a healed stress fracture feels like...nothing? (Read 1858 times)

    I've heard lots of people say they still feel a tightness in the area for awhile.  What about an occasional achiness?  It makes me paranoid every time there's a little twinge--I just want to know what's normal.  I have been checked by my doctor, and he's declared me healed.  He didn't seem concerned about any of the aches/twinges.  Will it ever just feel normal, like I never had the fracture?


    Turn Here

      September 27th 2009 I finished a Marathon. I didn't run again until Dec 6th. Took the next 8 weeks building my mileage back up. I have finally strung together 3 consecutive 50+ weeks. Right now there is a little throbbing at the stress location but I think that's because I read this.

       

      It still does not feel normal.....but niether does my shoulder and that surgery is 3 years old.

       

      I do get twinges here and there.....not so much achiness as much as it is very sensitive to getting bumped and thumped. I'm kinda training for a mid May Marathon.....I say kinda because in early Febuary I thought it was out of the question.....now I'm pretty confident I could run it....but my weekends look like crap and I don't think I can get my long runs in....and I ramble.

       

      Hope this helps !

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        It does help--thank you!


        I look my best blurry!

          Just was given the go ahead to slowly start running after a hip stress fracture.  So, I don't know either.  I went to the doc today and told him about all of these aches and pains and he told me to start running.  What the heck?  Only a 1/4 mile each run every other day but I can run.  It thought he would say another couple weeks.  Seriously I was surprised.  I am going to take it easy.  Let me know how you are doing.


          Kristen

            I don't remember so well even though I had a fracture in my knee less than 3 years ago.  Probably that period of it feeling odd lasted most of a year for me.  And it maybe was more paranoia over-awareness on my part.

            I think the main thing is every time that area feels a little different you are prone to think - what's wrong?  I have aches and twinges in lots of places that I think were never fractured.  I mostly don't suspect anything serious in those places.  Now pain would be worth paying attention to.

            The doctor most likely knows how to recognize that it is healed ok.

              I don't think this has anything to do with a stress fracture in particular.... I just think your body remembers injuries.  No matter what type they are.   Your body will remind you of the hurt ever time you even slightly overdo it.  Now though the trick is,  to recognize this feeling and learn to distinguish it from the pain of actually having something being hurt.


              Turn Here

                Chris.....it's funny that you say that. I couldn't agree more.

                 

                This is something I posted in the Masters Group back on Jan 8th.

                 

                Good Morning !


                I sure could use some of deez4boyz's Mojo......My swimming has just plain sucked this week. Just no get-up-and-go......Set out to do a hard set of 10 x 25's and end up hanging on the wall after 6......

                Tonight will be #3 of a three day running streak. I'm as giddy as a little girl.......


                I've been sidelined before because of injuries......Shoulder Surgery, an Auto Accident that dislocated my hip....but I have never been sidelined because of an actual running injury.......The comeback is different.....it's harder mentally....it's worrisome.....it sucks.


                There is this snapshot I have of the pain I experienced........now when I'm running, every little twinge is compared to that previous snapshot and I have to decide......go,... back off,... stop...or check again in a little bit.


                Then there are the ups. You make quick reflex type turn on the injured leg......because of recent history you brace yourself for that sharp shard of pain....but it doesn't come......you smile.....your mending and you know it.

                5 weeks of recovery running almost completed !


                Stay Healthy !!!!!!!!!!!! 

                Support the Battle Against Cancer

                  I can't say how grateful I am to find this thread. I'm about 4.5 weeks in to my healing from an ankle stress fracture. Even walking causes pain....so still swimming and biking. This is the question I was thinking about as I begin to return to running, which I can do sometime after April 1. My doc simply said "no running for 6 weeks." Okay - but then what? What should I expect? This really helps.

                  Kerry

                  HF #1048

                   

                  Every day I'm shuffling....

                   

                   

                    I fractured my foot in August and again in November. I still felt it in January so I went for an MRI. It showed nothing. I still feel pain sometimes. I think it's likely 2 parts paranoia and 2 parts real sensation. But my ortho said not to worry! Good luck!

                    I don't half-ass anything

                     

                    "I have several close friends who have run marathons, a word that is actually derived from two Swahili words: mara, which means 'to die a horrible death' and thon, which means 'for a stupid T-shirt.' Look it up." - Celia Rivenbark, You Can't Drink All Day if You Don't Start in the Morning

                     

                      I had a stress reaction in my tibia in December - doc said  not a stress fracture yet but like a pre-fracture - the bone density looked different from the rest of my leg in the MRI.  I took all of January off, and by early Feb felt no pain so started doing an easy walk/run every other day.  Well, it always aches a little when I'm done, but then feels better the day I take off.  Then aches again when I run.  Been doing this for a month and a half and I've decided I  need to stop running till the ache goes away, as this is obviously not getting better.

                      I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.

                          Will it ever just feel normal, like I never had the fracture?

                         

                         

                        yes.  It will feel normal.  I took 2 weeks off running thinking I had another torn calf muscle, then stupidly ran a half marathon August 16 and ended up not being able to walk after.  I had a sfx that went around the middle of the tibia  and  traveled up the back almost to my knee.  I didn't run again until Oct 27.  After a week or so, I took another week off because of phantom pain.  Then another 3 weeks off in Dec/Jan.  The problem was that I was so out of shape that everything hurt.  I also bought a new kind of shoe when I started up again and found out in Jan, it wasn't a good fit.

                         

                        The sfx stopped hurting sometime in Jan.  Just in the last 4 or 5 weeks, I've realized I've been running pain free...something I never thought would be possible.

                         

                        Jennifer
                        mm#1231
                          Again, this is so incredibly useful as I look forward to coming back from my sfx. Thanks again!

                          Kerry

                          HF #1048

                           

                          Every day I'm shuffling....

                           

                           

                            I appreciate all the input--thanks, everyone. Smile