Stress Fractures

It's owww for Yao! Yesterday, Houston Rockets general manager, Daryl Morey announced the team's center has a stress fracture. Yao Ming's left foot is fractured and this will keep him from playing for the rest of the season. According to the team doctor Tom Clanton, Ming's injury was due to continued stress on the bone rather than an injury during a game. Without the All Star center's average 22 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, the Rockets have some tough work ahead of them to climb up from the seventh position in the Western Conference. So, sports fans will make their predictions about what this means for the Rockets. But what does this injury really mean for Ming? Stress fractures are pretty much tiny cracks in bones. Typically these fractures occur in bones of the foot (most commonly midfoot to the toes) or in the shin bone known as the tibia.

Athletes are usually affected by stress fractures known as fatigue fractures. In this type, normal bone is exposed to activities that involve repetition and excessive force that athletes tend to endure. The other form is called insufficiency fractures because bones are weak due to osteoporosis or dietary mineral deficiency causing the bone to crack during normal activity. Yao Ming and others who suffer with the pain of stress fractures may experience symptoms such as worsening pain at the onset of physical activities. There may also be swelling in the injured area.

Physicians use MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) to diagnose stress fractures. The cracks in bone are usually visible three to four weeks after symptoms begin. Depending on the level of injury there are different therapies. Stress fractures may be treated with rest in order to give the bone time to heal. This will require the use of crutches, walking boots or braces to alleviate the pressure on the bone. Healing time for stress fractures run about four to twelve weeks depending on the level of damage.

Ice packs may also be recommended to reduce swelling and pain. Tylenol or other acetaminophens may be taken as suggested by one's doctor to reduce pain. People should avoid NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen because research suggests that they can interfere with the healing process.

Clanton suggests that Yao treat his fracture surgically. The surgical approach to stress fractures requires the use of pins that are placed across the bone to hold it together for proper healing. As an alternative, Yao may opt to treat his injury with the nonsurgical approach of a cast and crutches. In either case he is still out for the season because his recovery time is estimated to be about four months. Then there's rehabilitation time to consider. Once Yao gets the thumbs up from his doctor he can begin training to build up his stamina to normal performance level on the court. But it will take time because the bone although healed should not be exposed to a lot of force initially. Yao will have to slowly work his way up back to normal.

Stress fractures are treatable and the earlier they are caught the better. For Yao Ming, although his injury was caught early the news comes at a difficult time regarding his availability to play in the Beijing Olympics in August. It is still too early to say at this point whether or not he will recover in time to attend the Olympics. One thing is for sure Ming's absence would be a disappointment to his fans in China.

Prevention is the key to avoiding stress fractures. Following a few measures such as maintaining a healthy diet which includes calcium and Vitamin D, wearing the right running shoes to minimize shock to bones and incorporating strength training and flexibility exercises to one's workout regimen will help minimize the risk of injury.

As for the Rockets, they may not have much of a problem after all. With Ming out of the game, the team defeated the Washington Wizards last night with a 94-69 win claiming their 13^th straight victory. While the team now lacks a "post-up presence" as stated by coach Adelman this is a time for players like Tracy McGrady to carry the brunt of the work to help bring the team to a spot in playoffs.

Sources: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-rockets-yao&prov=ap&type=lgns, http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/stress-fractures/DS00556/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print