Don’t play through the pain – sports medicine gets Zachary Choi back on the field after stress fracture
It was the first week of training and high school soccer player Zachary Choi had lower leg pain that he chalked up to shin splints. It was his senior season, and he wasn’t going to let a little pain get in his way.
“It was easy to think that it was just normal soreness with two practices every day,” said Choi. “Your whole body is sore.”
Like many people, Choi didn’t realize that his injury could progress to a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a small crack or severe bruising in a bone and can be very serious. Most fractures are caused by repetitive stress on a certain bone. They’re common in runners and athletes in running-intensive sports, such as soccer or basketball.
As the season progressed, so did Choi’s pain.
“I remember feeling sore in warm-ups and the first five to 10 minutes of the game, but once I was into the first half, the pain wasn’t too bad,” said Choi. “After halftime, that was a different story. I would come out of the break limping and in a lot of pain, but I just kept playing.”
Fortunately for Choi, he was able to seek treatment after the end of his season—yet for some people, that injury, especially in a contact sport, could have been much worse. Stress fractures can progress to a bone fracture (broken bone) depending on how much force is applied. A stress fracture can easily lead to missing significant time or even surgery.
Thankfully, Choi sought medical attention with our sports medicine team at the M Health Fairview Clinic - Burnsville. He was evaluated and diagnosed by x-ray with a stress fracture. Our care team helped Choi manage his injury conservatively, by resting and wearing a boot for eight weeks. At the same time, he began seeing physical therapist Brianna Bren, PT, DPT. Although Choi had never worked with Bren before, there was a family connection.
“I have three brothers, who have all worked with Brianna —she’s like a family therapist for us,” said Choi. “It was great to finally meet her. She gave me a lot of direction and helped me understand what I could do to help my injury heal. It was helpful to have regular visits with her to see my progress and have a timeline to work towards.”
When asked about his favorite part of therapy, he replied, “It was fun to go from being in a boot to my final day where I was running, jumping, and doing a lot of soccer-specific activity.”
Bren specializes in lower extremity sports injuries, and has some advice for athletes, parents, and coaches.
“I would recommend year-round strength training and stability exercises for all athletes,” she said. “It’s crucial to educate parents and coaches about gradually ramping volume at the start of the season to reduce the risk of overuse injuries.”
For Choi and most young athletes, the goal in physical therapy is to return to sport as quickly and safely as possible. “Education of the athlete and parent is vital; it's important that they understand the rehab process and potential timelines from the beginning,” said Bren.
