When the rest period is complete and the patient has remained pain-free for two weeks or so, supervised rehabilitation is initiated along with a gradual return to activity. Returning to activity too early or increasing the amount of activity too quickly may initiate the stress fracture process again. Care should be taken during the first four weeks since this is the most vulnerable time during a fracture's reparative process. Preventing another stress fracture involves identifying and eliminating the factors that have caused it. Biomechanical imbalances can predispose an athlete to a stress fracture.
Stress fractures can be difficult to manage, especially in the competitive athlete.