Jogging is a superb way to get into top aerobic condition, and on top of that it helps you keep your weight in check and tone up your legs. The downside is the biomechanical impact forces that are absent in activities such as cycling and swimming. Along with soreness and injuries in muscles, tendons and fascial layers, bone fractures — almost always in the form of stress fractures — can strike almost anywhere below the waist.
Metatarsal Stress Fracture
The metatarsal bones join the phalanges, or toe bones, to the ankle bones. They represent the second most common site stress fractures, with the second, third and fourth metatarsals being the bones most often affected. Overtraining, increasing mileage too quickly and biomechanical problems such as overpronation and oversupination — that is, excessive rolling of the foot inward and outward respectively — are the usual causes. Pain is strongest in the forefoot and is made worse by weight-bearing activities. A rest period of at least four weeks is required for healing.
Tibial Stress Fracture
The tibia, the larger, more medial and more weight-bearing of the two shin bones, is the most common location of stress fractures in the human body, according to "Running Times" magazine. The site of the fracture is usually in the lower one-third of the bone, and it is typically accompanied by swelling. Overtraining is often causative, but unlike a metatarsal stress fracture, extra loading as a result of muscle contractions can contribute to this kind of fracture. Recovery usually takes eight weeks or so.
Femoral Stress Fracture
According to Sportsinjuryclinic.net, stress fractures of the neck of the femur — the part of your thigh bone just below the point at which it articulates with the hip bone — are most often seen in runners who tackle especially long distances, such as marathons and ultramarathons. Pain is present both during and after running, and can be evoked by virtually any movement of the upper leg. Recovery takes five to eight weeks, with the growth of new bone detected by X-ray, as with other types of stress fractures.
Pelvic Stress Fracture
Stress fractures of the pelvis and sacrum are less common than other lower-body stress fractures, says Robert Hosey, M.D. Women, who incur more stress fractures than men do overall, are particularly susceptible to pelvic stress fractures, which account for about one in 25 stress fractures in track and field athletes. Because the precise location of these kinds of stress fractures may vary, so, too, does the location of greatest pain. Anti-inflammatories are useful in the short-term management of pain, while healing takes about four to eight weeks, with cross-training on a bicycle or in the swimming pool possible after one or two weeks.
References
- "Running Times"; A Stress Fracture Primer; Brian Fullem; April 2000
- Sportsinjuryclinic.net: Stress Fractures of the Lower Leg
- Sportsinjuryclinic.net: Metatarsal Stress Fractures
- Sportsinjuryclinic.net: Stress Fracture in the Neck of the Femur
- Ortho Super Site: Evaluation and Management of Stress Fractures of the Pelvis and Sacrum
