Pelvic Stress Fracture

[Lori Metcalf]

My long time running friend just found out she has three pelvic stress fractures. I'm hoping someone can help me with some advise to give her. For now the doctor has told her she can do nothing but pool tharapy, she is devistated to say the least. The thoughts of not running for up to six months or more has really gotten to her. I have tried to be positive and let her know that this will just be a bump in the road and in the long run she will be a smarter runner. She will be having a bone scan Monday and it will be interesting to find out those results. Any way has anyone here delt with this or similar issues? Any advise on how I can help get her though this? Any and all comments would be apprieciated.

[Jon Allen]

That is a tough break- not really much you can do running wise, other than intensive water running, if she wanted.  A complete break to R&R and be ready to come back strong may sound good to her.  In terms of positive thinking, things like this have happened to elite runners, too, and they have come back from it. 

http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/dathanritzenhein03.html

Dathan Ritzenhein is one I know who struggled with femur stress fractures, which I imagine has similar recovery time.

[Sasha Pachev]

I think our blogger Annie Gasway had it as well. Her blog is at

http://annie.fastrunningblog.com/

[Josse]

When people get stress fractures it makes me wonder what they are lacking in nutrtion.  I would have her get a blood test to see if there is something she is seroiusly lacking. 

[adam]

That would be a smart idea. Especially among women runners, there is a tendency for stress fractures due to nutritional and caloric deficits. This is one of the primary causes of the female athlete triad, even among those who do not exhibit disordered eating. Those deficits (even slight ones over time) lead to decreased bone density which lead to stress fractures, especially in active individuals.

For rehabilitation purposes, it will take patience. Pool running can help maintain some running motion and cardio fitness, and if you can get to something like a hand-bike, that would also help with the cardio.

[Lori Metcalf]

Thanks for all the info. Josse, she is having a bone scan and blood work done Monday, so hopefully it will show what may have caused it. I didn't mention that she will be 52 soon, so they are thinking hormones and just that time of her life may have contributed to some of this also.
Sasha, thanks for showing me Annie's blog, it looks like she did have a pelvic stress fracture, I think I will try to get some advise from her.