Listening to Your Body and Maybe NOT Pushing Through the Pain

Female runners develop stress fractures more than twice as often as their male counterparts. But why? The journals Sports Health and Physical Therapy in Sport jointly presented a study that compared women runners with and without stress fractures. It was uncovered that contributors to the high levels of fractures included low hip bone mineral density, elevated bone turnover markers, and menstrual changes. Women were also reported to “push through the pain” when perhaps they shouldn’t. Another issue was that other risk factors, such as bone health, nutrition, and body composition were not routinely assessed. Suggested areas for improvement included routine screening and utilizing different training methods, all in the name of prevention.

“…these women had trouble knowing which pain was normal, and which pain was abnormal,” commented first author of the article, Therese Johnston, PT, PhD, MBA, Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. Another author of the study, Jeremy Close, MD, Associate Professor in Family and Sports Medicine, said, “there needs to be more guidance from healthcare providers for woman runners on how to prevent stress fractures.” Guidance plus screening plus changes in body self-knowledge and training may add up to fewer fractures.

 

Read the press release on Newswise.

Access the Sports Health article.

Access the Physical Therapy in Sport article.

Other Categories:

• women's health