As the Massapequa, NY weather becomes warmer, you may be inspired to enjoy the great outdoors by taking up running. This is awesome and we encourage you to take steps (pun fully intended) to help your physical conditioning, but do not put yourself at risk for a stress fracture by doing too much too quickly! If you are thinking about jumping from an inactive winter right into tackling the Albany Avenue School’s 6th Annual 5K Run/Walk next week (March 15), consider mixing light running with walking first.

Avoiding a stress fracture is certainly preferable to having to deal with one, but sometimes injury simply cannot be prevented. When this is the case, it is time to look at your options with regard to treating the injury.

  • Rest – Your body needs time to heal the affected bone, so you should avoid high-impact activities, like those that entail running or jumping, to prevent further damage and allow your body’s natural healing processes to work.
  • Ice – Part of treating this condition is managing the pain that accompanies it, and icing the injured area will help with that. It also reduces the swelling, so apply ice three or four times daily for ten minutes while you are healing.
  • Carefully resume activity – After you have been cleared to resume your normal activities, ease back into them slowly. A good rule of thumb is to increase the levels of duration and intensity by no more than 10% every week.

Much like carefully resuming activity following a fracture, the best way to prevent one in the first place is to always ease into activity, whether you are just starting a workout program or getting back into exercise following an extended absence.

Obviously, there are self-care methods for dealing with this injury, but make sure you come in and see your favorite Nassau County podiatrist for an accurate diagnosis. Mark Gasparini, D.P.M. will determine if it is a stress fracture we are dealing with and then provide an effective treatment plan for you. When you need expert care for any foot or ankle condition you are experiencing, stop in and see us at Foot Specialists of Long Island. You can reach our Massapequa, NY office by calling (516) 804-9038 or use our online form to request an appointment.

Photo Credit: Sura Nualpradid via freedigitalphotos.net 

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