Semi-OT: Stress Fractures

[Goshzagit]

After watching a long weekend of football; both NCAA and NFL I couldn't help but notice an interesting fact in this sport. Its amazing the amount of football players whom continually play with injuries each and every week. Some are probably warranted and others perhaps not. Either way, it was interesting to learn about many players who were playing with casts for broken bones, splints for hairline fractures, and special shoes equipped for stress fractures. For example, while enjoying the SEC match-up between Alabama and the University of Kentucky, the announcers mentioned 3 or 4 different Alabama players were playing with stress fractures and even broken bones in their feet and/or shins.

Obviously, upon hearing this news my immediate thought was, "How can that be possible"? Are they just saying that to seem tough or dramatic? Stress fractures have decimated our basketball team in the past, so how are they playing? The Zags have had players such as Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt, Zach Gourde, Rob Sacre suffer stress fractures and were fully expected to miss several months off the court and to wear a protective boot, be on crutches, and go through extensive rehab.

I assume the difference is the constant jumping in Bball compared to football and the harder surface of the Bball court effecting the foot itself. However, on second thought, football is an extremely high contact and vicious sport requiring jumping, cutting, sprinting, tackling, etc. So, is there just a different mindset in Football players than Basketball players? Can these players potentially play with this injury and even perform at a high level? From my fact checking, stress fractures are more common then we realize in all sports at every level. I'm not questioning the toughness of our players, but curious to know how serious this injury really is? If any of our posters with "MD" and/or "MED" in their name wish to elaborate, that would be great .

Ironically enough, my girlfriend's Father ran a entire Marathon yesterday with a stress fracture in his foot...and he's 55.

[2011Zag]

I have had stress fractures in my heel two different times and both were also during football and basketball season. I was able to play at about 75% on the football field mostly because of the actual time spent playing the game. If you think about it, a football play lasts for about five to six seconds and after that there is usually a 30 second break and the game clock is often still running.

When it came to basketball season there was no chance of being effective on the basketball court with a stress fracture. The combination of the hard floor and having to move and be quick at all times made it impossible. Putting any amount of weight on the foot caused significant pain and basically gave me the mobility equivalent to Spencer Hawes .

Basketball requires constant movement throughout the entire game and even if a player tried to play through the pain of a stress fracture, they would hardly be the kind of player they were before the injury.

[kitzbuel]

Plenty of Zag players have played through significant injuries. Micah played most of a season with an injured wrist taped up, Josh has played through a lot of injuries that really hampered his play and kept him from getting into decent shape.

2011 is right though when it comes to foot and leg injuries. Basketball really exposes any degradation much more than football or even running. I have run through a few stress fractures and you get through it with lots of Motrin and ice and hope you don't have to make any quick turns because those really hurt. You also risk just making it worse which I have also done.