Navicular Stress fracture

[confinedstew12]

I know you guys are probably pretty tired of seeing threads like these, but I was just hoping to get some opinions of other runners. Here is a little background on me.

During my junior year (high school) track season I was making large improvements in my 800, 1600, and 3200 PR's. The improvements I had encouraged me to really hammer summer training, and during it I averaged about 53 miles a week with a weekly long run and a weekly hill workout OR tempo run. I was havering great runs, I even ran a 5 mile tempo run in 28:10 with negative splits (5:56-5:49-5:33-5:39-5:16). The first week of practice rolls around and I ran a 3 mile time trial in 15:36 (my previous 5k pr was only 17:15) so I was really excited. However in the next week or so I developed a stress fracture in the navicular bone in my foot.

It took forever to get properly diagnosed, and I was unable to run from late August of 2009 until March of 2010. I have been running regularly since then, but I have had flare ups of my foot hurting in the same manner that it used to. It would hurt periodically throughout the summer, but always would go away. I began training with my college team and it was the same; flaring up on occasion.

What I really wanted to know is could this be due to some sort of residual pain or is my stress fracture not properly healed?

Also, I really haven't felt the same running after my injury as before, has anyone else experienced this? When I say this, I mean decreased performance and decreased confidence.

Wow that is a long post, thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

[Heidi]

Hi
How long was your period of complete rest from running? Did you get a walking boot or cast or anything? Did you get the all-clear to get back to running from your Doctor? Did you have a very gradual increase in training?
Sorry for all the questions, but they may help to determine if the fracture was given a suitable amount of rest and if anything may have caused the injury to recur.
Did you have any rehab also? You may find after such an injury that the calf muscles inparticular tighten up so it is important to work on maintaining their range of motion as well as strengthening the intrinsic foot muscles to support the whole foot.

[confinedstew12]

I virtually rested from September until March (I ran maybe a total of 5 times in between just to test if I could run without pain). I was given the all clear to run after receiving PRP (platelet enriched plasma) treatment by a sports medicine doctor. I worked up very gradually, starting with a run-walk program of a few miles and adding some time each week.

I did not really have a specific rehab program. I do stretch and roll out my muscles regularly though. I have noticed my calves are extremely tight and I have very little dorsiflexion in my ankle. I strike on my forefoot and supinate as well.

[Heidi]

ok, so I would recommend trying to get another x-ray to make sure the stress fracture has no returned.
Also make sure you really concentrate on stretching the calf muscles to get your full range back. If not this can lead to no end of other injury problems! A strengthening programme would probably also help! I know it's not quite the same but have a look at the rehab page here for some ideas: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/foot/metatarsal.htm