Do you have a sharp, aching pain on the top of your foot when
you run? If so, it might be a metatarsal stress fracture. The metatarsals are
perhaps the most elegant bones in your lower body.
The five long, slender bones extend from your midfoot to your toe joints, and despite their small size, must handle a tremendous amount of stress when you run. As a result, the metatarsal bones are a common location for stress fracture in runners.
The five long, slender bones extend from your midfoot to your toe joints, and despite their small size, must handle a tremendous amount of stress when you run. As a result, the metatarsal bones are a common location for stress fracture in runners.
If you have pain on the top of your foot or pain in your
forefoot, you’ll want to read on. We’ll dig into the scientific research on who
gets metatarsal stress fractures, why they happen, how to prevent them, and how
you can return to running as quickly as possible.
The basics: Metatarsal anatomy and symptoms of stress fracture
You have five metatarsal bones in your foot. Each one corresponds
to a toe, and they are numbered, by convention, starting from the inside. So
your first metatarsal corresponds to your big toe, and your fifth metatarsal
corresponds to your pinky toe.
When you run, the metatarsals act like a lever, helping you to catapult your body forward by using your forefoot as a base of support. They’re a critical part of allowing your body to use your calf muscles and Achilles tendon to store and generate power when you run. This is why the metatarsals are longer and thicker than their upper-body analogy, the metacarpals on the hand.
When you run, the metatarsals act like a lever, helping you to catapult your body forward by using your forefoot as a base of support. They’re a critical part of allowing your body to use your calf muscles and Achilles tendon to store and generate power when you run. This is why the metatarsals are longer and thicker than their upper-body analogy, the metacarpals on the hand.
