Stress fracture diagnosis

[JoyceVT]

Hello - I am the runner/triathlete who is always struggling with some sort of TMS. I've paid for 8 marathons and have only been able to run 4 of them the last 4 years. I recently had to drop out of my second half ironman triathlon due to severe right hip pain a couple weekends ago.

I had an MRI on Monday and the official result is a compression stress fracture on the femoral neck. I have been in communication with one TMS doctor and he feels strongly it is TMS. He feels stress fractures are common and almost incidental, like herniated discs. He has worked with other athletes dealing with stress fractures and the pain went away quickly, making the diagnosis seem "silly".

My pain is still quite present. It is very painful to put pressure on my leg/hip. I currently on crutches. My traditional sports doctor says I have a high risk stress fracture and have to be on crutches for at least 6 weeks. This is my worst nightmare. I can't even swim or bike at the moment, let alone running.

Any opinions out there on stress fractures being merely TMS? I need to believe 100% this is TMS but am having difficulties. The TMS doc has great points on this being TMS. He makes some very convincing arguments.

I have been going through a very tough time lately with my job and finances so it would make sense to be experiencing a high level of TMS.

Thoughts?

 

[Tennis Tom]

From a TMS perspective--this being a TMS message board-- "stress"-fracture--TMS is about tension i.e. "stress". You didn't have any problems doing the swim/bike legs of your tri. Why can't you minimally swim now to keep from going stir? If your leg is in acute pain now, maybe just using a floaty between your legs and just using upper body. How 'bout running in the pool with a flotation belt for 10-20 minutes and see if it loosens up?

I ran 13 marathons with no "stress fractures", never heard of them until the running boom--do they show up on imaging? I think it's like Venus William's Shogrun's syndrome, never heard of that before either, if they can't find a traditional dx for what's possibly TMS they invent a new "dis-ease" for it.

It seems economics is one of your stressors from your mention of losing money on missed event costs. I prefer what your TMS doc says, but I can't see into your hip-joint, I'm having my own hippy issues at the moment, after a ten year relationship break-up, but I'm slogging through on a road trip driving hundreds of miles a day with no sitting pain, hitting practice balls, running and backstroking in the pool--and using a cane when I walk, but it's a cool cane by Leki.

G'luck!
tt

 

[JoyceVT]

Thanks Tennis Tom for your response. The only thing that has made my hip worse is running due to the impact and full weight on my hip. Swimming is easy on the hip and cycling was fine too.

I got a email response back from another TMS doc I've also seen in the past. And she believes that stress fractures can cause a lot of pain. Her advice is to rest and let it heal. If there is still pain after the appropriate healing time then I can contact her again. I'm just going to let it heal and hope that there is no add'l TMS that tries to latch onto my hip.

 

[Tennis Tom]

If a TMS doc says to let it rest then I would let it rest.

 

[JoyceVT]

If a TMS doc says to let it rest then I would let it rest.

I pretty much have no choice. This is my worst sports injury ever. I am on crutches and just moving my leg/hip around in bed is painful. Hopefully my bone heals quickly!

 

[UFGatormom]

Hi Joyce,

I have been just lurking around the forum for the past few months but recently have communicated with Dr. Mark Sopher and I know from your previous posts that he has helped you in the past. Don't know if you remember my story but diagnosed via MRI with bilateral hip labral tears, extensive meniscal tears, and six weeks again, had a fall on road cycle bike, ignored it and just pushed through with HIIT classes, yoga, cycling but have not run in a year. Well, back to ortho doc since knees kept bothering me especially right and diagnosed with questionable nondisplaced fracture of patella. So here I am miserable, anxious and depressed because of having to be immobilized in full brace for six weeks. Sent Dr. Sopher all MRI reports and filled out his consultation intake form and in his opinion, these are all INCIDENTAL findings but I have so much doubt about all of this because I am just getting more and more limited activity wise in the last eighteen months and always have a huge increase in pain if I do too much. I know from your last post you were diagnosed with stress fracture and was wondering how you were doing now; if you were back to full activity? I go to gym now with brace when I can get a ride (cant drive right now) and work out upper extremity just to help calm anxiety but I have been this down and depressed for a long time....I hate just sitting around...and Dr. Sopher's response about fracture being perhaps an old injury and incidental confuses me even more; are the docs wrong all the time? Anyway, I know how you loved your triathlon life, running, etc and just wanted to know how you were doing and what has helped you. I have read and re-read all TMS sources, meditate, therapy sessions but all have not helped. Do have a lot of stressors as usual but before all these findings I was still stressed but did NOT have pain?

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Joyce and UFGatormom. Tennis Tom has given you both excellent advice, as he always does for others.

Joyce, I would follow the TMS doctor advice and see if the pain goes away. If it does, or you feel some good relief,
I would try walking in the swimming pool and maybe doing some leg stretching exercises under water. But gently does it.

UFGatormon, there are some easy sitting and standing exercises on Youtube for seniors. You're not a senior citizen but the videos are good for anyone of any age.

I also suggest the Youtube videos of Deepak Chopra. I hardly understand a word of what he says, but his voice is soothing.