I know this has been asked before, but what can I do to make sure that my stress heals properly other than rest?? I am going to take the proper amount of rest, but I was wondering if there is anything I can do like increasing calcium/magnesium intake, or icing?? Will this help? Any methods of cross training help the healing??
Somebody please help. bump
Ice, ride a bike, ice, swim, ice.
The best thing you can do is rest it. I am just getting back running right now and have been out for 2.5 months. Getting blood to the area also speeds recovery....so depending on where it is biking/pool running/swimming/massage will help the bone heal...as long as you can do any of those things without pain. Good luck
The stress is on my lower fibia so I can bike and what not w/out any pain. Is icing good or bad?? There seems to be conflicting opinions. If you want to get blood flowing thru the area to help it heal, then why would you ice?? Icing will decrease blood flow to the area and is good to decrease swelling and inflammation. If anyone knows the real deal, let me know. Thanks.
Ice helps the swelling of the tendons or muscles that caused the fracture in the first place....so if you still have pain when you are sitting or walking around ice is a good idea. If there is no pain ice really makes no sence....icing a bone isn't helping anything. Blood flow is what brings the calcium to the area to fix it.
DK,
Thanks alot. That is what I thought, and the idea makes sense (about the icing). Will increasing calcium intake help?? (I know that magnesium is needed as well).
ice especially after working out. the whole idea behind icing is that it will increase blood flow and promote recovery. however, icing too long is definately bad for you because then it will decrease blood flow. when you ice for about 15-20 minutes right after cross training or whatever, the effect is to dilate your blood vessels. ice too long, and they will constrict.
when i had my stress fracture, i strapped a bag of ice around my leg, forgot about it, and took it off one hour later. what you should do is about 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.
Whats the deal, I thought icing was no good??
The orthopedic surgeon I went to told me icing wasn't a mandatory thing...only if the area was sore....if you have no soreness don't ice (is what he said).....My thread is a couple pages back and I had pasted his email to me about that exact question. My problem right now is I have started running again and the area is getting sore....I am not sure whether this is just normal shin splints, phantom pain (from the area not used to being stressed), or wheather I am still feeling the stress fracture.
no, icing is good when it is used properly. you mentioned that you will still be biking. if you apply ice to your leg after biking, it will further increase blood flow... which is a good thing as you already know. more blood = more oxygen, nutrients, drainage of wastes from the tissues.
but remember, 20 on, 20 off, 20 on, 20 off