If you've had a diagnosed stress fracture...

Susie Derkins

what did it feel like?

I had an MRI this morning to see if I have (had?) one, since my injury from January still isn't 100% yet.  I don't go for my follow up until May 2, and I'm antsy.  I've never had one before, so I'm just curious how closely my complaints align with typical stress fracture gripes.

C.squared

I had one in my tibia and it felt like a stabbing pain every time I put weight on that leg.  It didn't really swell or anything, just hurt a lot when I walked.  The pain was on the inside, bottom of my knee if that makes sense.  I had already had 2 operations on that knee, so I went to the ortho thinking it was related to the surgeries (to remove medial meniscus and repair nerve damage).  Turned out to be a stress fracture in the tibia.  I think I ended up taking about 6 weeks off of running and took plenty of ibuprofen.  That was last summer and no problems since.  Hope you start to feel better soon!!!  

Susie Derkins

Hmm.  Did it hurt more when you were actually running, or after you stopped?

astragrl23

I had a stress fracture in my foot (2nd metatarsal).  At first it just felt kind of achy after I ran, kind of like I had my shoe laces tied too tight.  I kept running on it until it hurt to walk on it - at that point it was more of a sharp pain anytime I stepped on the ball of my foot.  By the time I went to have it looked at it was detectable by x-ray.

Susie Derkins

astragrl23:

I had a stress fracture in my foot (2nd metatarsal).  At first it just felt kind of achy after I ran, kind of like I had my shoe laces tied too tight.  I kept running on it until it hurt to walk on it - at that point it was more of a sharp pain anytime I stepped on the ball of my foot.  By the time I went to have it looked at it was detectable by x-ray.

That's how it feels now, although up a little higher than your was.  After I run it just aches, with a little localized swelling.  Well, after I do a run/walk.  That's what my PT and now my orthopedist have me doing until we have a firm dx. No "real" running.

It's been such a frustrating road.  It was initially dx'ed as tendonitis, but the pain in that area's long gone.

potatohead

C.squared:

I had one in my tibia and it felt like a stabbing pain every time I put weight on that leg.  It didn't really swell or anything, just hurt a lot when I walked.  The pain was on the inside, bottom of my knee if that makes sense.  I had already had 2 operations on that knee, so I went to the ortho thinking it was related to the surgeries (to remove medial meniscus and repair nerve damage).  Turned out to be a stress fracture in the tibia.  I think I ended up taking about 6 weeks off of running and took plenty of ibuprofen.  That was last summer and no problems since.  Hope you start to feel better soon!!!  

This is exactly how my stress fracture felt.  A stabbing pain every time I put weight on it.  Mine was in my ankle, though.  I finished out a race with blinding pain, not realizing what it was, then had to wear an air cast for several weeks afterwards. 

nhahn2206

I had a stress fracture in my heel many years ago when I was playing club soccer. I had it for over a year before being diagnosed. From what I remember, it was pretty achy after playing a game, but that pain didn't develop for a while. It almost felt like a muscle ache, but deeper. Once I had complained about it enough we really started to investigate what was going on. It took a pretty extensive round of MRIs to find it.

SloaneRanger1

I had a stress fracture in my foot.  It was from overuse (running).  It started by hurting everytime I ran, so I would ice it.  Then it hurt anytime I put pressure on it.  Every step was so painful that I finally went to the ER.  It came up in x-rays so I had to wear an aircast boot for about 5-6 weeks or so. 

astragrl23

Susie Derkins:

astragrl23:

I had a stress fracture in my foot (2nd metatarsal).  At first it just felt kind of achy after I ran, kind of like I had my shoe laces tied too tight.  I kept running on it until it hurt to walk on it - at that point it was more of a sharp pain anytime I stepped on the ball of my foot.  By the time I went to have it looked at it was detectable by x-ray.

That's how it feels now, although up a little higher than your was.  After I run it just aches, with a little localized swelling.  Well, after I do a run/walk.  That's what my PT and now my orthopedist have me doing until we have a firm dx. No "real" running.

It's been such a frustrating road.  It was initially dx'ed as tendonitis, but the pain in that area's long gone.

Ugh! I hope for your sake it ends up NOT being a stress fracture.  Recovery (or maybe just not running!) was frustrating.