1. Too Much Stress on the Thigh
Stress fractures occur from over use or over stressing your bones, not from an injury or accident. A stress fracture of the femur is a fracture of the thigh bone, the longest and strongest bone in your body. A stress fracture is like a hairline crack in the bone and is visible on x-rays. Many people however, don't go to the doctor or get x-rays for a few weeks because they don't know the femur is broken, they only know they have pain and some bruising.
2. Athletes Are at High Risk
People who are runners, joggers, track and field competitors, basketball and baseball players are most likely to be the recipients of a stress fracture of the femur. Female athletes are more at risk than males for stress fractures due to the higher incidence of osteoporosis in women. Anyone who runs or puts a lot of repetitive stress on his or her legs can get a stress fracture of the femur.
3. A Swollen Thigh Is a Bad Sign
Symptoms of a stress fracture of the femur include swelling of the thigh, pain with movement, groin pain and thigh pain. The pain gets better when the thigh is rested and worse with use. The causes of a stress fracture to the femur include suddenly increasing the intensity or duration of your sport or workout, increasing the number of workouts, ill fitting gear or shoes, sudden changes in the workout surface or a change in terrain. Female athletes are at greater risk if they have eating disorders and irregular menstruation.
4. Surgery Is Seldom Required
Because the pain of the stress fracture comes on gradually, most people don't see a doctor for the first week or so. By then, the doctor will need to do x-rays and may order an MRI. Surgery is seldom done for a stress fracture of the femur, unless its location is the femoral neck, which is located next to the hip socket. Pain medications will be prescribed and the doctor will order you to stop all activities until the femur starts healing. Resting the femur for a week or two is recommended, depending on how long it's been since the femur was broken.
5. Get Back on Your Feet Slowly
Resuming activity after a stress fracture requires a little patience. The first month you will probably have crutches and be able to touch your foot to the ground with partial weight bearing. You will be placed on a low impact weight training program for between 8 and 16 weeks. During this time, you must not run on the leg and should avoid exercises for the lower extremities. The low impact program will progress you through swimming, cycling and marching or running in chest deep water. As you progress, weight bearing exercises will increase once you can walk without pain.
