What exactly is bone stress injury in runners?
Bone stress injury is an injury caused when pressure and trauma are put up on the bones constantly, the constant force leads to stress in the bones, and if they are left untreated and still they are being pressured and forced then there is a high chance of fracture in that bone.
This makes regular evaluation of bones of different parts of the body necessary for athletes because they overuse some parts of the body daily, which leads to stress and, if there is a delay in the treatment of bone stress injuries then there is a high chance of developing fractures.
A report says - it is seen that more than 21% of runners each year suffer from this, and has a higher instance in females, making it a phenomenon worth paying attention to.
The cause behind bone stress injury :
The bones are made up of collagen and calcium phosphate and are hard. Repetitive use causes load and pressure on the skeleton which builds up stress and damage that heals at a very lower rate.
In a nutshell - BSI (bone stress injury) is caused when overuse and repetitive loads on the bone outpace its ability to recover.
Symptoms of bone stress injury?
Below are the symptoms of BSI (Bone stress injury).
Constant pain in certain joints and parts of the body that does not go away even after the activity has ended.
Difficulty in walking, or carrying out daily life activities.
Worse pain and swelling which doesn't even allow to get up from the bed and do anything.
Pinpoint pain - Pain in certain areas when touched.
Swelling, and pain at some sites in the body.
5 tips to prevent bone stress injury.
Here are 5 tips that can help you to reduce the risk of BSI (bone stress injury).
Slower progression - To progress, you need to increase the workload constantly, and that's true for success.
It is seen that Competitive athletes, to come out of their comfort zone, increase their workload by 10% every week. While this is good, we need to understand that the recovery factor of every human being is different.
Not everyone's body can take up constant increasing loads because of factors like their nutrition, tolerance power, any other bone disease, immobilization, etc.
So make sure to slow down the progression to reduce the chances of BMI, and if any symptoms occur - immediately visit a doctor.
Adopt the right Technique - In runners, it is common to get bone stress.
So to prevent that there are various running techniques or tactics runners adopt.
Although techniques don't illustrate that you will not get injured, the effect and the stress will be minimal to the bone when you are running by using techniques.
Take Breaks - Taking breaks from distance running puts pressure on the bones, and giving rest to your body is vital for recovery.
And in the fitness or sports industry - there is a famous saying - 'Recovery is the key to performing like a beast on the battlefield.'
If you are a runner who takes intense higher training regularly, then you are at high risk for BSI, because your body might not be getting the time it needs to recover.
And no recovery can ruin your performance on the ground, so make sure to take a break from higher training volume.
Focus on the Volume - To be a pro athlete, runners increase both the intensity and volume of training, while intensity is a major factor in training, there are studies that have proved that those who increase intensity frequently, are more prone to get bone fractures.
So when adjusting your training, focus first on the volume than intensity.
Focus where you are training - Runners often take training on various things - like on treadmills, hills, mountain and desert areas, trails, etc. The different environment demands different energy and intensity to perform.
So make sure to focus on the environment where you are training because certain environments put a load and force on bones, which if undercover possesses a risk of bone fracture. Bone stress injuries are a serious threat and in any symptoms, it is encouraged to see a doctor to avoid worsening the condition.
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