

- #TUNING FORK THERAPY FOR MUSCLE AND BONE PAIN UPDATE#
- #TUNING FORK THERAPY FOR MUSCLE AND BONE PAIN CRACK#
If the athlete presses on through the pain, then typically, pain will be present at rest as well. These prevention ideas are all very good but how does an athlete with various aches and pains know when a stress fracture has already developed? The most common symptom is increased pain with specific sport activities (e.g., increased shin bone pain when running or jumping). So for some athletes, bumping up the fitness portion of their training may be a good idea. Lower levels of fitness may actually be a risk factor for stress fractures. And for those who do need to pull back a bit, studies show for the already fit athlete, reducing the training volume temporarily does not affect athletes' ability to perform and compete effectively. They are not gung-ho about backing off their training schedule.Ī review of training surface and shoe wear may be all that's needed before altering the training schedule. But athletes worry that they will lose their edge in fitness if they decrease their training volume. Women may be at increased risk of tibial (lower leg bone) stress fractures because the female's calf muscle just isn't as large as the male's.Īnd with excessive training, muscle fatigue may result in a change in postural alignment and body mechanics - all adding up to more force transmitted from the ground up the leg and into the bone. Smaller muscles and muscle fatigue may result in an increase in the force placed on the bone with activity. Muscle mass and muscle strength can be increased with a strength training program.

Gradual increases in training may be able to avoid this mistake. A sudden change in the athlete's training routine (increased intensity and/or duration) is the biggest training error leading to stress fractures. Training schedules can also be reviewed and altered if training is too much, too often, too long, or too intense. In such cases, nutritional and behavioral counseling are advised. Females who have an eating disorder or disordered eating are common among athletes where "lean is mean" (a desired state of body and mind) in some sports. For the athlete with flat feet, forefoot malalignment, excessive hip internal rotation, uneven leg length, or other biomechanical factors, an insert placed inside the shoe can make a big difference.įor women who are overtraining while also limiting calories, a better balance of eating and nutrition may be helpful. But there are ways to prevent stress fractures by modifying other risk factors. There's not much a person can do to change the cross-sectional area of the bone or gender (male versus female). The thickness of the bone seen this way represents the bone strength. The cross-section of a bone is the width of the bone you would see if that bone was cut straight across (sideways not length-wise). For example, a smaller cross-sectional area of the tibia (lower leg bone) has been linked with stress fractures in male runners.

One of the new findings in risk factors is the cross-sectional diameter of the long bones of the leg. Other risk factors include biomechanics (alignment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg), muscles mass and strength, and bone density and bone geometry (shape, thickness).
#TUNING FORK THERAPY FOR MUSCLE AND BONE PAIN UPDATE#
The main focus of this update (review) article is on fatigue stress fractures among athletes.īesides being a soldier or an athlete, being a female in either of these groups increases the risk of a stress fracture. Fatigue fractures are usually caused by new, strenuous, very repetitive activities, such as marching, jumping, or distance running. Insufficiency fractures are breaks in abnormal bone under normal force.įatigue fractures are breaks in normal bone that has been put under extreme force.
#TUNING FORK THERAPY FOR MUSCLE AND BONE PAIN CRACK#
Men and women in these two sports who train more than five hours a day have been shown to be 16 times more likely to develop a stress fracture.Ī stress fracture is a hairline crack in the bone that can grow larger over time if not treated properly. Dancers and gymnasts are not immune either. But today, stress fractures are on the rise in athletes, from distance runners and sprinters to skaters, hurdlers, and tennis, volleyball, soccer, and basketball players. Stress fractures were once most common among military personnel who marched and ran day after day.
