Stress Fractures: How a Bone Can Break Without a Fall or a Blow

You can break a bone without falling, being hit or having an accident. This is called a stress fracture, and Dr. Amr Elyamany explains how it happens and how to avoid it.

How it happens

A stress fracture occurs when a bone is exposed to repeated stress, such as running, walking or intense training. Overload builds up until it produces tiny cracks, and later a fracture. It starts as something very small that you barely notice.

The warning sign

You may feel a slight pain or tightness. Do not brush it off: it is a signal from your body that your bone is being affected. If it is ignored, the small crack can turn into a complete fracture, which can keep you from sport for many months.

Common causes

• Excess body weight
• Skipping the warm-up before sport
• Doing sport in the wrong way, or increasing the weight, the distance or the intensity too quickly
• Walking or training for long periods when your body is not used to it

How to prevent it

• Do not start a sport you are not used to at a high intensity.
• Warm up before every session.
• Wear protective equipment and supportive footwear.
• Know your body and your limits, and stop and see a doctor if a strange pain appears when you train.

Key takeaway: Prevention is better than cure: increase your training gradually and never train through a bone pain that keeps growing.

When to see a doctor

• Pain in one spot of a bone that gets worse with training
• Pain that continues even after rest
• Localised swelling or tenderness over a bone

Need advice about your own case? Book a consultation with Dr. Amr Elyamany in Dubai.

This article is for general education and does not replace an in-person medical examination. If you have symptoms, please consult a qualified doctor.