Tom Delay Down, But Not Out, on Dancing with the Stars

Former House Majority Leader Tom “The Hammer” Delay has been rehearsing for his debut on Dancing with the Stars. Partnered with two-time winner, professional Cheryl BurkeDelay twittered on Tuesday: “Old age is catching up to me. May have a stress fracture in my foot. No worries, it’ll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor.” X-rays showed that Delay did not have a stress fracture, however he did have a “pre-stress fracture” which, he vowed, would not keep him off the dance floor. People magazine reports that “because of injuries suffered by contestants in past seasons, the show implemented a cap of five hours per day of rehearsals for this season’s contestants.”

Stress fractures are overuse injuries. They are most common in the lower legs and feet of athletes, although almost anyone can get a stress fracture. When muscles become fatigued, they are unable to absorb shock as well. Eventually the muscles transfer the stress to the underlying bones, causing small cracks to form in the bone. Symptoms include pain, swelling, tenderness to touch at the site of the fracture. Diagnosis can be difficult, since X-rays may be called “negative” until evidence of bone healing begins three to six weeks after symptoms begin. A “pre-stress fracture” exists when the covering around the bone, called the periostium, becomes inflamed. If treated at this stage, actual fracture may be avoided. Treatment using consists of rest, elevation, immobilization, and over-the-counter pain medications.

Stress fracture of 2nd metatarsal: