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Return to running
How should running resume after a stress fracture heals?
Author: Dr. Jiwu Chen
Doctor’s answer
Daily walking should be pain-free, local tenderness resolved, strength and mobility restored, and bone healing confirmed when appropriate. Return to running should begin with walk-run intervals and gradual weekly load increases. Recurrent pain means stepping back to an earlier stage.
This content is for education. Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation require an individual assessment by a sports medicine specialist.