You're spot on! I'm recovering from my second stress fracture in 6 months - I wish I would've known all of this sooner. The waiting, the need for patience, the misdiagnoses. I'm still in the waiting period - it's agony. Great post!
Thank you for reading!! So sorry you are going through that - I had something similar a few years back - definitely no fun. Hope your healing goes smoothly!
2nd met fx presented like a rock bruise. “Must be metatarsalgia.” Couldn’t even get imaging bc it didn’t meet diagnostic criteria. 4mo later pain in top of same met, like someone knifed my foot to the ground. Finally got MRI: yep, stress fx...oh & also evidence of previously healed fx. *also developed CRPS after this one.
Also can confirm that it seems the more proximal, the more it may behave differently than traditional stress fx. I had a femoral shaft fx initially diagnosed as a sartorial strain. So insurance wouldn’t approve MRI & I kept running cuz compensation made it manageable. Until it wasn’t. When I finally got MRI approved, oh look, a fx!
And it’s always longer than they think. And docs always clear you as healed bc you can pass all their basic life function tests...but it’s not YOUR life. Yeah, I can get out of a chair unassisted, but can I run?
I’m lucky to have an ultra runner for PT & she’s always ahead of docs & imaging diagnosis. “Let’s treat as if it’s _____ while we wait.” She’s usually the most right.
But yeah, so much of what you observe here resonates with my own experience. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And if “putting on pants” is the real test, another reason not to wear pants!! 🤣
Stress fractures don’t show up in MRIs at first bc they are SO small that you can’t see them until they are starting to heal and what you see, especially towards the end of healing looks like a weld mark in my opinion.
Yes to the hop test note!! I have a grade 4b tibial stress fracture (basically as bad as it gets) which was many many months in the making, and I can hop with zero pain. It only hurts when I press on a specific spot!
You're spot on! I'm recovering from my second stress fracture in 6 months - I wish I would've known all of this sooner. The waiting, the need for patience, the misdiagnoses. I'm still in the waiting period - it's agony. Great post!
Thank you for reading!! So sorry you are going through that - I had something similar a few years back - definitely no fun. Hope your healing goes smoothly!
Amelia, I related to sooo much of this!
2nd met fx presented like a rock bruise. “Must be metatarsalgia.” Couldn’t even get imaging bc it didn’t meet diagnostic criteria. 4mo later pain in top of same met, like someone knifed my foot to the ground. Finally got MRI: yep, stress fx...oh & also evidence of previously healed fx. *also developed CRPS after this one.
Also can confirm that it seems the more proximal, the more it may behave differently than traditional stress fx. I had a femoral shaft fx initially diagnosed as a sartorial strain. So insurance wouldn’t approve MRI & I kept running cuz compensation made it manageable. Until it wasn’t. When I finally got MRI approved, oh look, a fx!
And it’s always longer than they think. And docs always clear you as healed bc you can pass all their basic life function tests...but it’s not YOUR life. Yeah, I can get out of a chair unassisted, but can I run?
I’m lucky to have an ultra runner for PT & she’s always ahead of docs & imaging diagnosis. “Let’s treat as if it’s _____ while we wait.” She’s usually the most right.
But yeah, so much of what you observe here resonates with my own experience. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And if “putting on pants” is the real test, another reason not to wear pants!! 🤣
oh wow! Validating to know someone else had pain presented like that with the foot (though sorry you've been through that). Appreciate you reading!
Great info, thanks!
thanks for reading!
Stress fractures don’t show up in MRIs at first bc they are SO small that you can’t see them until they are starting to heal and what you see, especially towards the end of healing looks like a weld mark in my opinion.
Yes to the hop test note!! I have a grade 4b tibial stress fracture (basically as bad as it gets) which was many many months in the making, and I can hop with zero pain. It only hurts when I press on a specific spot!
hop test!!!! so good to know. thank you! but now I need to know what is the put on your pants test???????