Can someone please define 'residual pain' after a stress fracture

Injury/Nutrition

11 years ago 06/18/2012 9:09pm EDT

I'm returning from a lower back stress fracture. I took 5 full months off from running and this is my second week of running, I'm coming back quite slowly, just runs of 1-3 miles. I'm aware it will not feel normal and it's expected to have some 'residual pain' when coming back from a stress fracture.

Can someone please define what this means and if there's anyway to tell if I'm just experiencing residual pain or if the fracture is not fully healed. I've had zero pain on all of my runs but today I felt something in the fracture spot in my back. Albeit it was a very slight pain, in fact I would call it more of a discomfort. I could feel something a little more significant (although still mild) later in the day as well. Is this what residual pain should be? Do you feel it during the run or after the run? How long does this last? Am I screwed?

11 years ago 06/18/2012 9:31pm EDT

re: The Dingo

Don't know what to tell you. I was diagnosed with a tibial stress fracture in July of 2010, took 6 weeks off, and started back gradually. I started to have pain, eased off, went back and forth to the doctor trying to get some explanation, got an MRI and much later a bone scan telling me that I was fully healed. Still hurts now. Some days it hurts worse than when I actually had it, some days not at all, but most days just a dull ache in the middle of my shin. I ignore it since it hasn't gotten worse with training (over a year now).

The difference I notice is that when I actually had the fracture, when I wasn't bearing weight on it (watching TV and such) it would feel warm, like someone had placed a heating pad on my leg. I don't get that now.

I'd just have an MRI or something like that to 'prove' whether you're healed or not. Good luck.

11 years ago 06/18/2012 9:32pm EDT

re: The Dingo

Not a doctor here - but I think of it as more of an ache. The soreness shouldn't affect your gate; in my case, it seemed that there wasn't pain on impact, but more general, if that makes sense (when I had the stress fracture, I couldn't put any weight on it) As for during or after, it was a bit of both, after meaning just in the few moments after. There wasn't any pain through the day.

11 years ago 06/18/2012 11:10pm EDT

re: off the leash

When I had a stress reaction of the sacrum I had to take a lot of time off but I also had a problem with residual pain mostly due to really tight back muscles and an especially tight psoas. If you get a stress fx in the back area I would also get ur bone density and vitamin D checked and also perhaps see a massage therapist to see if u can loossen up which will take the strain off the area So u can run better.

11 years ago 06/19/2012 2:36pm EDT

re: Lojdjd nd

I had a stress fracture in my left tibia. I'm on my fifth week of training after taking a month off. I don't really have "pain" now but I do notice a little discomfort where the fracture was. I can walk around all day and feel fine and I never experience shooting pain like I had before.

So i guess "residual pain" for me is just a minor discomfort that doesn't get worse.

11 years ago 06/19/2012 3:45pm EDT

re: The Dingo

I just had a stress fracture as well and was out for 6 weeks. I still have some odd aches in my foot occasionally, usually when I am not putting any weight on it.

Five months seems like plenty of time off for a stress fracture. But if your pain gets worse again, I would definitely recommend getting it checked out again by a doctor. Having some slight aches is common as the muscles surrounding your broken bone had atrophied and are expanding again.

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