Over and over patients tell me their doctor has told them to quit running. The doctor has said that running is at the root cause of the running injury. B.S.! Breathing doesn't cause lung disease. Eating doesn't cause stomach upset or heart disease. Driving doesn't cause automobile accidents. Spending money doesn't cause bankruptcy. Running doesn't cause running injuries. Running isn't the problem. It's the choices we make when we are running (and recovering) that leads to a problem. If you're a ...
Dec 27, 2017•19 min•Ep. 48
Rodney asked about a non-displaced fifth metatarsal fracture. He said “Hi, it’s been 8 weeks and my orthopedic doctor says it’s healed. Even though the x-ray doesn’t look like it’s healed. There is still a black in the gap where it was broken. He says that line will be there. Is this possible?” Metatarsal fractures are extremely common. In fact metatarsal bones are fractured more often than any other bones in the foot among runners. Because these little bones happen to be the longest bones in yo...
Dec 20, 2017•17 min•Ep. 47
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about how you can tell when it’s okay to resume running with a stress fracture. A runner named Whitney recently sent a great question to me on Twitter. Whitney asked “if you suspect a stress reaction/fracture how do you know when it’s healed enough to resume running? Thanks for your podcast!” As we all know stress fractures in the foot are one of the most common overuse injuries among runners. But just because stress fractures are common, it does...
Dec 13, 2017•17 min•Ep. 46
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast I’m really excited to have Marla on the show to talk about her experience with recovering from a running injury. Running injuries can be really difficult for lots of reasons and one of the reasons I think they seem to be so difficult is that the standard of approach in medicine is to first tell you to “stop running”. Sometimes the standard medical approach, or the “standard of care” as we like to call it, can send you spiraling down this path of frustration an...
Dec 06, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 45
Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we are going to discuss how Paternalism fails runners. During a sermon one Sunday morning in 1896 in Dayton, Ohio, Bishop Milton Wright said, “If man was meant to fly, God would have given him wings!” Lucky for us, his sons didn't listen. Had Wilbur and Orville actually taken their father’s admonitions to heart, it would certainly take us a lot longer to get from San Francisco to New York. As a father myself I cannot believe the good bishop was hoping to crush...
Nov 29, 2017•18 min•Ep. 44
Stress fractures are one of the most common running injuries. And every runner who gets a stress fracture has to, at least in same capacity, reduce their activity to heal. Sometimes the runner has to stop running for a brief period of time. Sometime you can just run less, modify the way that you run, or come up with some creative strategies to keep running. You never get a second chance to do your first marathon, so you certainly need to do everything possible to stay fit and not lose all that e...
Nov 22, 2017•20 min•Ep. 43
Pain is a part of running. There is a saying often lauded by athletes and we have all heard, “Pain is just weakness leaving your body.” We affectionately call our training studios “Pain Caves.” We bask in the discomfort of pain, knowing it will make us stronger. In training we embrace pain as an ally. But when you get an over-training injury, pain when running is no longer your friend. The pain forces you to run slower or run shorter distances. Pain forces you to skip workouts. Pain is wrecking ...
Nov 15, 2017•14 min•Ep. 42
A few days ago a guy named Vito sent in a great question. “I was in a walking boot for 6 weeks due to ankle fracture, no surgery. I am out of the boot and doing physical therapy to restore flexibility and strength. Can I safely being running again after a period of time?" This is a very common question I hear from runners simply because one of the most common treatments for running injures like stress fractures, stable ankle fractures, Achilles tendinitis, peroneal tendinitis and even chronic pl...
Nov 08, 2017•14 min•Ep. 41
Today on the Doc On The Run podcast I’m really excited have Dr. Vinh Ngo from Smart Medicine San Francisco. Doctor Ngo is going to explain hormone replacement as a way to make sure your training at full capacity and at lowest risk of injury. Dr. Ngo is a UCSF trained physician and he is an expert in men’s health and hormone optimization. So today I’m really excited that he’s here to share his integrative approach which can help athletes train harder by looking at hormonal limiters to identify ch...
Nov 01, 2017•47 min•Ep. 40
A few days ago I was doing a phone consultation for a patient who had a fracture in his fifth metatarsal. I was trying to help him understand how important it is to reduce inflammation to speed healing. During our call he asked a great question. “Should I wear compression socks if I have a running injury?” In this episode were talking about whether or not you should wear compression socks when you have a running injury.
Oct 25, 2017•14 min•Ep. 39
Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we have Tina Deane who is the owner of Massage Works in Los Gatos. This episode will help you understand how runners and triathletes can use massage as a tool to simply run more, train more, train harder, workout more, build your fitness more with a lower risk of injury.
Oct 18, 2017•31 min•Ep. 38
Discipline is the difference between choosing what you want now and what you want most. The problem with discipline is that most runners often seem to perceive discipline and hard work are synonymous. After all, it does take lots of discipline and hard work to become a strong runner. We learn to suffer. Through discipline we learn to put on our running shoes and run in the dark. We run in the rain. We run through aches and pains because we have, through years of training, developed discipline. S...
Oct 11, 2017•14 min•Ep. 37
My ankles pop and click all the time. They have for years. I am going to help you understand whether or not you might have subluxing peroneal tendons and whether or not it’s a problem. If you think you have peroneal tendon subluxation you probably have some popping or clicking sensation or maybe even pain at the outside of the ankle. So what causes all of that noise? Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about peroneal tendon subluxation in runners.
Oct 04, 2017•18 min•Ep. 36
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about peroneus longus tendonitis, and what runners can do about it. Whenever I do consultations for runners who have peroneal tendinitis, they seem to be confused. Even though many of them have already been seen by an emergency room physician or their primary care doctor, they seem to be really unclear about what exactly is going on in their foot and ankle. If you aren’t clear on what is wrong, it’s hard to be clear on what you need to do to heal...
Sep 27, 2017•18 min•Ep. 35
In the earlier episodes we explained that peroneal tendinitis is just inflammation of one of two tendons on the outside of your ankle: peroneus brevis and peroneus longus. In most runners these are overuse injuries. Although they have similar names and they’re both in a similar location they each have very different functions when you run. In the simplest terms, they work together to act as your landing gear when your foot hits the ground and you decelerate. They both stabilize your foot. But th...
Sep 20, 2017•22 min•Ep. 34
If you are listening to this, you’re probably a runner and you probably also have pain on the outside of your ankle. You may have already been to see a doctor, or you may just be trying to figure this out on your own. Either way, either you or someone else has suggested that you have a problem with the peroneal tendons. And you’re probably worried that it’s going to screw up your ability to run at least for the next several weeks. Your doctor may have told you, or you may have read, continuing t...
Sep 13, 2017•19 min•Ep. 32
I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Runner’s Connect to contribute my thoughts on peroneal tendinitis in runners. This live recording was part of the 4-Day Injury Prevent Summit where Runners Connect interviewed 25 of the world’s most renowned running injury experts. This episode is going to be an overview on peroneal tendon injuries in runners. For most of you listening this, it will give you all the information you need to figure out what’s going on with your peroneal tendons and ...
Sep 06, 2017•37 min•Ep. 31
In Part 1 of our series on Achilles tendinitis we talked about how runners with mild forms of Achilles tendon injuries can decrease the inflammation, decrease the stress and tension on the Achilles tendon, get better and keep running. But we also talked about the unfortunate reality of some runners having a tendency to ignore these injuries when they are in there earliest stages. Because many runners have a high pain threshold you may not even notice the first stage of Achilles tendinitis. If yo...
Aug 30, 2017•34 min•Ep. 30
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about how runners with Achilles tendinitis skip the doctor visit and keep running. The Achilles tendon is the biggest tendon in the body. So when the Achilles tendon gets injured, the runner has a really big problem. If you neglect the early sign of problems with the Achilles tendon and develop a severe form of Achilles tendinitis, you can be crippled temporarily and have your running form altered permanently. In short, you may never run the same...
Aug 23, 2017•44 min•Ep. 29
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking with legendary orthopedic surgeon Kevin Stone, M.D. about runner’s knee and knee preservation strategies for runners. Dr. Stone gets invited to travel to medical conferences all over the world to teach other orthopedic surgeons the specifics of his joint preservation research and knee surgery techniques. And in this episode he will share some strategies runners can use to keep running longer with healthy knees.
Aug 16, 2017•38 min•Ep. 28
Today on the Doc On the Run Podcast, we’re talking about what a runner should do if you’re worried the pain under the big toe joint might be a sesamoid stress fracture. Sesamoid stress fractures may be one of the very worst injuries affecting runners. In fact, of all overtraining injuries that could actually seriously put your future of running at risk, it may be the sesamoid fracture that has the potential to ruin your ability to run forever. Pain in the ball of the foot under the big toe joint...
Aug 02, 2017•27 min•Ep. 26
Summer has a dirty little Secret… If you get injured and wander into the hospital in the summer months you are more likely to end up with a bad result. Believe it or not, statistically, you are even more likely to die. Your chances of dying in a hospital are highest in July. A study published in 2010 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine exposed one of medicine’s dirty little secrets. All medical internships, surgery residencies, and fellowships begin on July 1st every year. Because of thi...
Jul 24, 2017•20 min•Ep. 25
If you’re a runner, the chances are good at some point in your running career you have had an aching, throbbing sensation in the front of your shins. And chances are also good if you talk to your running buddies they would quickly explain to you that you have a case of shin splints. Shin splints may be common, but they can also be confusing. As I have said in many other episodes, you have to know what you are treating, before you can treat it correctly. If your doctor has misdiagnosed your condi...
Jul 19, 2017•30 min•Ep. 24
Is over-resting slowing your recovery? It might be. Sitting still is a killer for athletes. Not only does it bum you out, but a long period of immobilization can actually increase your chances of having another injury later. A few days ago I got a call from an athlete who had been unfortunate enough to have a serious injury that required surgery. So when he called me, he already had surgery and was well on the way to recovery. After six weeks of rest he felt like the rest was killing him. And he...
Jul 12, 2017•19 min•Ep. 23
Let's face it, the primary tool used by runners are running shoes. Although we often think about heart rate monitors, GPS watches and all sort of fancy fabrics for our running clothes, nothing will affect your performance as much as the very best, properly chosen running shoes. Given I am a sports medicine podiatrist with a practice catering solely to helping runners run, and I like to run, you can rest assured I always run in the very best running shoes. And not surprisingly, other doctors, and...
Jul 05, 2017•21 min•Ep. 22
Whether you’re training for your first 5K, a half-marathon, Ironman triathlon or 100 mile ultramarathon, you have to put in lots of miles. To keep logging miles, increasing your speed and building your strength…you have to avoid injury. The real game with building strength and fitness in long distance running is to systematically stress your tissues so those muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments all have to rebuild themselves and become stronger. So whether you are self-coached, you purchased an...
Jun 28, 2017•17 min•Ep. 21
This week I was invited to lecture on Runners Heel: Pearls for Podiatric Physicians at the International Foot & Ankle Foundation Meeting at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. The attendees to this conference included podiatrists, foot and ankle surgeons and sports medicine specialists. The lecture was on runner’s heel pain and I was discussing the differences between plantar fasciitis, infracalcaneal bursitis, neuritis and stress fractures of the heel bone. The goal was to tr...
Jun 20, 2017•15 min•Ep. 1
Today on the Doc On the Run Podcast we have a truly inspirational guest: the Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence who is famous for settling two world records: both the number of Half Iron Distance triathlons done in one year and then in 2012 he also set a new world record for the number of full Iron Distance triathlons done in one year. But then, he did 50 Ironman distance triathlons in 50 days, and in all 50 states!
Jun 14, 2017•52 min•Ep. 1
The very first step in healing a plantar plate sprain is to make sure that you don't make the condition worse. Because it's a tiny little ligament and it's easy to make it worse! In many cases you can continue to run and still heal a sprain of the plantar plate. But this depends on many different factors. However, there are some exercises which I believe are much more stressful than running when it comes to the stresses applied to the plantar plate. If you do these exercises you can rest assured...
Jun 06, 2017•12 min•Ep. 1
One of the less common ways you can get pain in the ball of the foot is if the cushioning within the foot becomes diminished. If that happens it can feel like you’re walking on rocks or standing right on the bones on the ball of the foot. If you think about it, when you stand up, your skeletal system, primarily the bones and everything that hold the bones together is what supports you. Obviously, you have a lot of bones in your foot. The bones are resting on top of the skin. So if you think abou...
May 31, 2017•23 min•Ep. 1
