Bone stress injuries, localised bone pain and tenderness over the bone. The person reports pain is worse with weight bearing both during and then afterwards.
It begins with a stress reaction, which can progress to a stress fracture and then to a complete bone fracture.
So the key finding is where is the location of pain? If it is on the bone, the weight bearing activities you do need to be altered. Cease all activities that are causing a reaction of pain during and afterwards.
An MRI or CT scan is how these injuries are identified not an X-ray unfortunatly too often we get clients attending Physio Recovery Room having been advised x-ray clear and they have a soft tissue injury. But then when the MRI scan is conducted there is either a stress fracture or fracture identified. Common places we see missed are tibia, navicular bones and 5th metatarsal.
So always seek an MRI or CT scan from the doctor if this injury is suspected.
Modifiable risk factors would be load, energy availibiltiy (females the menstrual cycle can have significant effect) and calcium and vitamin d intake.
Unlike muscle and tendon pain with bone pain you want 0/10 pain more often than not. If pain is evident safe zone and then no greater over 24 hours it should be returned to 0/10.
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