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POSSIBLE STRESS FRACTURE?

ian ritchieian ritchie
in Health + Injury

For the past 5 weeks, I've experienced pain in the right shin area. It's come on gradually, first starting in my calf after a half marathon and then after three races in three days wearing racing flats. The pain in mainly half way up my tibia and to the inside but it can move to my ankle, top of foot and to the outside of my shin.

 

2 X-Rays 2 weeks apart show no fracture or any change in that period. Ran a park-run last Saturday and had to stop. 

 

I now have a small but painful bruise on my shin where the pain originates which aches all of the time. I can't run and intend on taking 6 weeks of none running time off. I have been aqua jogging and swimming.Elliptical trainer hurts to do.

If I foam roll the pain doubles for days after!

Any ideas what this could be? MRI scan refused by the hospital and the advice given was to simply take pain relief and rest. 

 

Used to running 60 miles a week, could this be a stress fracture that isn't showing up on a standard X-Ray? Any ideas or help anyone could provide would be really helpful as I'm getting nowhere with the NHS and the pain has been here for 5 weeks now.

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Comments

  • ScreamapillarScreamapillar ✭✭✭

    So you've had the pain for 5 weeks and carried on running through it - why do you think it isn't getting any better?

    Just rest like you say you are intending to do and see what happens after that. If it comes back or doesn't actually go away you can always get further investigation done but sometimes the simplest course of action really is is the most effective.

     

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  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Sounds like a strained anterior muscle. Had something similar after a problem with the opposing muscle group (calf).

    The muscle (anterior) gets stretched over the shin bone and creates a real sore spot.

    Find a way to stretch the muscle and it should sort itself out. 

    🙂

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  • ian ritchieian ritchie
    Screamapillar sorry I should have mentioned when I said I ran through it I mean like one run a week of 6 miles which is going from 6 hard days to 1 easy day. I can't physically run through it.



    RicF thanks a lot I haven't heard of this. Thanks for the advice I will try this
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  • TheSianzTheSianz ✭✭✭

    Sounds very similar to my experiences over the past month.

    Mine suddenly came on - was running and developed a pain bottom front of shin. It felt like a little twinge so I wasn't overly concerned. Next evening I went for a run and it came on again, I stopped the run and THEN it was more painful. Next day I couldn't walk without pain. 

    At first I couldn't move my foot without the pain at the front of the shin - particularly pointing the toes up. No stress fracture showed on the x-ray but the dr in A&E seemed to think it was a stress fracture. Was on crutches and given an air splint.

    Now its easier and I can walk and move my foot but I get a lot of aching moving into the foot and back of my leg etc. It's puzzling me as when I returned to the hospital the dr said it might just be bad bad tendonitis. It's been nearly 3 and a half weeks. I've been able to swim but now it seems to be stuck in the same state of a lot better but still getting a lot of aching and twinges when dorsiflexing. Will probably need another x-ray at some point maybe :/

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