What is a stress fracture? It's a tiny crack in your bone caused by repetitive force on a certain area. Stress fractures are most common in the lower leg and foot (tibia, metatarsals, femur, fibula, and navicular). If you're a sprinter for track, you're in luck. You're far more less likely to get stress fractures than a long distance runner.
With no doubt, stress fractures are one of the most if not the very most frustrating injury you can get. Not only does it seem to take forever to heal, but they can be extremely painful. Often a runner is out for at least six weeks (yes, that means no running and staying off your feet as best as you can) and has to use either crutches or a boot.
Stress fractures can be broken into two categories, the first and least penalizing being the low risk stress fracture. Low risk stress fractures don't usually require crutches or a boot and can usually heal on their own, providing the six week rest of time and not running.
High risk stress fractures don't let you off as easy as low risk stress fractures do. The time to recover and stay away from running is much longer and they often require a boot or crutches as they cannot heal on their own properly.
Thankfully, human bones often get stronger when exposed to new and higher levels of force. Sadly, bones cannot become strong as quickly as muscles and tendons can, and it usually takes a month or two for the bone to actually strengthen, which is often too late for a runner who is kicking it into gear very quickly.
Typically a stress fracture will feel like an aching or burning in a particular area along your bone. Often painful swelling takes place in the area of the stress fracture as well. Personally, I think they feel almost like a very painful bruise on your bone. There's no easy way to describe it.
When it comes down to it, simply get a few ex-rays to see what's going on. Stress fractures aren't something a runner, or anyone, should take lightly.
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