When Is It Safe to Start Loading a Stress Fracture Without Making It Worse?

When is it actually safe to start loading a stress fracture again? In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains how runners can think about progressive bone loading without making the injury worse. He covers why “just rest” is incomplete advice, why pain relief does not equal full healing, the 3 phases of stress fracture recovery, and the biggest mistake runners make when they try to return too soon.