RICE: Since the stress fractures have been shown to be more common among athletes than previously thought, it should come as no surprise that the mainstay traditional modern medical treatment is rest. The theory behind this practice is that the bone is breaking down faster than it can be built up. Rest is actually the first of a number of treatments typically used in the sports medicine community to deal with sports injuries – the RICE protocol. Unfortunately this approach does nothing to address the underlying cause of stress fractures, and may actually hinder healing, and, thus, does not alleviate the chronic pain that people with this condition experience.
Steroids and anti-inflammatories: Another standard practice of modern medicine involves the use of steroids and anti-inflammatory medications. However, in the long run, these treatments do more damage than good. Although cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to produce short-term pain benefit, but both result in long-term loss of function and even more chronic pain by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues and accelerating cartilage degeneration. Plus, long-term use of these drugs can lead to other sources of chronic pain,allergies and leaky gut syndrome.
Surgery: When all else fails, patients who experience chronic unresolved pain from a stress fracture are usually referred to a surgeon. Unfortunately, surgery often makes the problem worse. Surgeons will use x-ray technology as a diagnostic tool, which does not always properly diagnose the pain source. Decisions to remove cartilage tissue will most commonly result in arthritis.
The Natural Medicine Approach to Stress Fractures
Prolotherapy for stress fractures: A better approach is to strengthen the fibro-osseous (ligament-bone) junction in the area of the stress fracture with Prolotherapy and herbal supplements. This will strengthen the bone covering, or the periosteum, as well as the ligamentous and tendon/muscular attachments to the area. Neural therapy injections may also be given around the site of the stress fracture in order to increase the circulation in the area. Neural therapy is a gentle healing technique developed in Germany that involves injecting local anesthetics into autonomic ganglia, peripheral nerves, scars, glands, acupuncture points, trigger points, skin and other tissues.
Chronic pain is most commonly due to tendon weakness, ligament weakness or cartilage deterioration. The safest and most effective natural medicine treatment for repairing tendon, ligament and cartilage damage is Prolotherapy. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.
Prolotherapy offers the most curative results in treating chronic pain. It effectively eliminates pain because it attacks the source: the fibro-osseous junction, an area rich in sensory nerves. What’s more, the tissue strengthening and pain relief stimulated by Prolotherapy is permanent! A visit to Caring Medical includes a thorough examination by our Prolotherapy physician, Dr. Ross Hauser. An athlete himself, Dr. Hauser understands the frustration behind sports injuries and is able to choose the best course of treatment to relieve pain caused by stress fractures.
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Caring Medical is a full time Prolotherapy doctor’s office. We have successfully treated all of the conditions we write about. This is why patients travel from across the country and internationally to be treated by our Prolotherapy physician Dr. Ross Hauser. The difference is in the care, technique, and experience you get with Dr. Hauser and team at Caring Medical.
The treatment regimens suggested here are based on the experience of Caring Medical. They do not apply to every case or condition. A person using these recommendations without the aid of a personal physician does so at their own risk.
This information is provided for informational purposes only. It is essential to have your condition evaluated by your own personal physician.
For an appointment with Ross Hauser, M.D., please call 708-848-7789. or email us at scheduling@caringmedical.com.
