In 2019, one of our physiotherapists, Rose, developed a sacral stress fracture.

As a runner herself, she found the injury incredibly frustrating. What she found particularly difficult was finding someone who could confidently guide her through the rehabilitation process.

Rose knew she needed to stop running – but needed guidance on:

Rose’s experience sparked a particular interest in the management of stress fractures in runners.

Since then, she has developed a passion for helping runners navigate what can otherwise feel like a very uncertain period of their running journey.

You shouldn’t have to guess your way back to running.

At Podium Physiotherapy, our aim is to give you a clear understanding of your injury, why it happened and, most importantly, what you need to do to return to running safely.

Don’t let uncertainty stop you running. You don’t just need someone to tell you to rest.

You need someone who understands runners, understands bone stress injuries and can guide you through the journey from diagnosis to running again.

That’s what we’re here for.

1. We understand runners

We don’t just want to get you pain-free.

We understand that you want to get back to running, training and racing.

2. We understand stress fractures

Our experience of managing bone stress injuries means we can guide you through the uncertainty that often comes with this type of injury.

3. We give you a plan

You will leave with a clear understanding of what you can and can’t do, what you need to achieve and what the next step of your rehabilitation looks like.

4. We look beyond the injury

We don’t just treat the bone. We look at the training, strength, recovery and other factors that may have contributed to the injury.

5. We help you return with confidence

Returning to running after a stress fracture can be psychologically difficult.

Our goal is to give you the knowledge and support you need to gradually rebuild your confidence as well as your physical capacity.

The priority in this phase is to reduce the load going through the injured bone enough to allow healing, which may mean stopping running and modifying walking or other impact activities. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, you may need crutches or a walking boot, while maintaining appropriate pain-free exercise where possible.

Once the injury is being appropriately protected, we aim to maintain as much cardiovascular fitness and general strength as possible without compromising bone healing. This may include carefully selected cross-training such as swimming, cycling or pool running, alongside strength exercises that can be performed safely.

As the bone becomes able to tolerate more load, rehabilitation progresses towards rebuilding the strength, control and physical capacity required for running. This typically includes progressive lower-limb strengthening, single-leg exercises and eventually impact and plyometric exercises to prepare the body for the demands of running.

Running is gradually reintroduced once you have met the appropriate clinical and functional markers for your injury, rather than simply because a certain number of weeks have passed. We use a structured walk/run progression and monitor your symptoms and response to increasing load, gradually building your running duration before introducing greater volume, pace or hills.