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I put this option as the last alternative, as it is not trivial to move from running in a modern running shoe to minimalist running. The move requires relearning how to run, a time consuming process. However, it you cannot modify your foot strike using cadence, conscious modification or barefoot drills, this is your next step. The majority of barefoot runners I have come across move to barefoot/minimalist running because they become desperate to overcome a chronic injury.

Initially a stress fracture will not show up on an x-ray, though after a few weeks of healing, though there may be some evidence of that repair will visible. To diagnose a stress fracture, a more sophisticated technique is required, such as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CT_scan CT scan], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRI MRI], or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_scan bone scan]. However even these techniques are not completely reliable. Another technique that was used on me is to apply ultrasound; if there is a stress fracture this will produce an intense pain.