Episode Summary
Learn how to recognize and manage low-risk bone stress injuries like medial tibial stress syndrome, from key symptoms and activity tolerance to strength testing and return-to-running progressions. Discover how load management, nutrition, and targeted rehab can reduce reinjury risk and improve performance.
Low-risk bone stress injuries are presented through the example of medial tibial stress syndrome, with practical principles that also apply to other low-risk sites such as the pelvis, posteromedial tibia, compression-side femur, fibula, and central metatarsals. Learners are guided through typical symptoms, including exercise-related pain that worsens during activity, next-day soreness, and localized tenderness along the tibia, as well as key assessment points such as walking tolerance, running triggers, palpation findings, ankle dorsiflexion, and sport demands.
The teaching then focuses on rehabilitation and return to sport. It explains how to use baseline strength and capacity testing, limb symmetry, and functional progression to guide recovery. Particular attention is given to soleus capacity, ankle stiffness, plyometrics, and neuromuscular training rather than focusing only on the glutes. The summary also covers running retraining, graded loading, and monitoring pain response.
A major theme is addressing underlying risk factors, especially low energy availability, menstrual and hormonal health, nutrition, vitamin D, sleep, stress, and training errors. The overall aim is to match load to capacity, reduce recurrence, and support safe return to full sport.
