Imagine breaking a bone, but slowly over time. That is essentially what a stress fracture is. It can be preceded by bone bruising (oedema). Commonly, people will notice swelling at the foot, pain which gets worse the more you are on it, sometimes pain at rest and it eventually becomes limiting to your activities.

Interesting fact: One in ten heel pain patients may have the beginnings of a stress fracture in the heel! However, other common locations include the long bone behind your second toe (2nd metatarsal) and the bone in the middle of your arch (navicular).

Management typically involves some degree of rest, up to 4 weeks and then some rehabilitation to follow to get you moving again. Foot orthoses may or may not be necessary, or it may be a short-term strategy to reduce the stress at the site.