Stress Fractures

The exercises & techniques to keep your body healthy for footbag.
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C8H10N4O2
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Stress Fractures

Post by C8H10N4O2 » 09 Jul 2013 13:03

Hey hackie peoples. About two weeks ago I returned from traveling China, where I wasn't playing a ton of footbag. After returning I had a high density of pretty intense sessions alone and with friends, and developed a kind of mild aching, bruising, and visible bumps near the center of my shins. I'm worried that these might be the beginnings of stress fractures. I haven't been playing for almost a week already and not too much has changed. I'm bummed, I wanted to be in decent shape for worlds! Anyone have any advice or experience dealing with this type of injury?

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Re: Stress Fractures

Post by C-Fan » 09 Jul 2013 13:46

Hey Caffeine.

The bumps are what worry me. Otherwise, it sounds like a bad case of shin splints. In either case, I'd recommend resting until the pain is COMPLETELY gone. Once that happens, then doing toe taps for a couple days to build up shin strength is good, and maintain that while you're getting back into footbag shape. The idea is to make sure your shins aren't significantly weaker than your calves, so the calves don't pull on the shin muscles, tearing them.

But yeah, if you have visible bumps, I'd probably go see a doctor about that, especially if they aren't getting better on their own.

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Jeremy
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Re: Stress Fractures

Post by Jeremy » 09 Jul 2013 17:04

I reckon the bumps are just built up fluid associated with the bruising. As I understand it, stress fractures should be a sharp specific pain, rather than a dull ache in the general area, as you describe. So I don't think stress fractures are likely (but I'm no doctor). Either way, I think just resting is the most important thing, and also seeing a doctor if it's particularly debilitating or doesn't get better. Even if it's not stress fractures, a physiotherapist might be able to give you some good advice about exercises, or things to do to aid in recovery.

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C8H10N4O2
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Re: Stress Fractures

Post by C8H10N4O2 » 14 Jul 2013 09:40

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm still not able to play yet. I actually do think it is a minor bone injury - it really feels a bit different than muscle soreness. I've been doing some reading about stress fractures, and it seems that ramping up the kind of high impact training to quickly the way I was is a major risk factor (I was drilling ps whirls). Apparently performing the trick before my muscles were ready to accommodate the force of landing left a lot of stress dumped on my bone, gradually overwhelming the ability of my osteoblasts to renew the tissue. I think I've been left with small hairline fractures in both legs - online sources report that these are not visible on an x-ray, so I've decided not to see a doctor. Like all injuries, this type varies in severity, and I think I've caught it early enough that I can heal quickly.... Or that's what I've been telling myself. I feel next to no pain 90% of the time during the day, but it's a tiny nagging discomfort that lets me know it's not fully healed. These things are slower than muscle repair, so I'm doing my utmost to refrain from playing. He'res hoping I'll play at worlds!

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Re: Stress Fractures

Post by h0ag3yb3atZ » 05 Aug 2013 09:09

oooo davey really hope its not a fracture. I had 2 tibial fractures in 2010-2011 each taking around 6-8 months to heal so certainly a bad time.

They feel like a really dull, isolated ache that escalates whenever you put pressure on them (footbag, running, even walking sometimes). I'd 100% see a doctor, they aren't visable for the first month or so but nothing showing up on the xray can be just a bad sign. if you have a fracture you gotta start taking steps to heal it asap.

hopefully see you soon.
Kevin Hogan

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