Runners want to run. Ballet dancers want to dance. But runners just run. Ballet dancers, don’t just dance. Ballet dancers practice the basic moments that make them better dancers. I just recorded a new Doc On the Run Podcast interview with Valerie, the founder or RunRx. That interview is coming out soon (so watch for it), but she made such a great point, I thought you should hear about her ballet/runner analogy now. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we're talking about what runners can learn f...
Aug 19, 2019•4 min•Ep. 198
I just got off a call with a runner who broke his little toe and he is trying to get back to running. Pain when running is one signal that you are disrupting the healing process. His main question was if he could run without pain, is it okay to run on the broken toe before it is fully healed? He is concerned that if he runs and the broken toe doesn't heal, that would obviously lead to problems and he doesn't want to have a non-healed broken toe. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we're talking ...
Aug 17, 2019•5 min•Ep. 197
When you get injured, you can lose ground very, very fast. You don't have to lose all of your fitness just because you're in the recovery process. Don't throw in the towel. Don't give up. Do something. Stay fit through the injury recover process. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we're talking about the two rules from Warren Buffet that can help injured runners.
Aug 14, 2019•5 min•Ep. 196
“Weakness causes running injuries.” If you're a runner who has been injured, you probably feel that's a little bit like rubbing salt in the wound. But make no mistake about this, if you get injured, it's because you are weak. By definition, all over-training injuries are a result of weakness. Specifically, tissue weakness. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we're talking about how weakness causes running injuries.
Aug 12, 2019•5 min•Ep. 195
Why do you wear running shoes? Running shoes are supposed to cushion when you land. Running shoes are supposed to prevent some of the damaging forces when you run. Running shoes are supposed to supposed to support your feet when you run. Running shoes are supposed to supposed to protect you when you run. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we're talking about how worn out running shoes cause running injury
Aug 09, 2019•7 min•Ep. 194
Races really don't injure runners. Any runner who gets injured in a race really did the damage long before the actual running event. During the build phase, you actually feel really strong. Your muscles are getting stronger. Your aerobic fitness is in good shape. But your tendons, ligaments and bones don’t build strength as fast as the muscles. They are all actually more prone to injury during that phase. The big build phases of training are also where you happen to ramp up your workout intensit...
Aug 07, 2019•6 min•Ep. 193
I believe in research. I am absolutely convinced that if the study or clinical trial shows a high likelihood you will have an adverse event like a heart attack or stroke when you take a medication, you probably should not take that medication. Clinical research can show you very clearly what you should not do. Clinical research however does not always show you so clearly what you should do. And that is where things start to get cloudy. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about why...
Aug 05, 2019•11 min•Ep. 192
Toenail fungus is gross! And believe it or not, toenail fungus, the stuff that causes athlete's foot, it's all the same, and it lives in your home. If you get toenail fungus or if you get athlete's foot and you're treating either of those fungal infections on your feet and you're a runner, you have to make sure that you get rid of all of the fungus in the areas in your home where it accumulates if you really want to get rid of it for good. Otherwise, if you spray some stuff on your skin, if you ...
Aug 02, 2019•9 min•Ep. 191
When plantar fasciitis first starts, doctors call that an “acute case” of plantar fasciitis. Acute plantar fasciitis (which just started) should be treated differently than chronic plantar fasciitis (that has been around for months). There are 2 common mistakes runners make with plantar fasciitis. There are also 3 things runners should so do right when plantar fasciitis begins if you really want it heal and get back to running as quickly as possible. If you do everything right, you should notice...
Jul 31, 2019•10 min•Ep. 190
If you run and ignore that aching pain in your foot it could be a metatarsal stress fracture. If you're strong as an ox and half as smart and you keep running, and ignore the pain, you could actually break the metatarsal bone. If the broken metatarsal bone moves out of position your doctor may recommend surgery to put the bone back in its proper position and stabilize it with pins, plates and screws. The big question is whether or not you should be able to run after you heal. Today on the Doc on...
Jul 29, 2019•7 min•Ep. 189
Most of the time when runners go to the doctor with a running injury, the doctor tells you to quit running. The doctor is simply trying to pick the simplest fastest way to reduce the stress and strain on the injured tissue. But of course, runners want to run. Whenever runners call me for a consultation and it is always because they really want to know the answer to one specific question: “Can I run with this injury?” The answer is never as simple as either yes or no. Today on the Doc On The Run ...
Jul 26, 2019•6 min•Ep. 188
If you a runner in training and you break one of your toes, or snap a metatarsal bone, you may worry about hoe long you need to stop running. When you are get a fractured bone, you probably want to know what it will take to heal the bone and how quickly it is going to heal. One of the ways doctors classify broken bones in the feet and toes is whether it is a “displaced fracture" or a “non-displaced fracture." Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about the difference between a a dis...
Jul 24, 2019•5 min•Ep. 187
Yesterday I was talking to a runner who had an ankle sprain that didn't improve. After about a year of not be able to run, having pain when walking and becoming really frustrated with not being able to run, he called me for a second opinion. During that discussion he asked me whether or not it would be better to get an MRI or a CT scan to evaluate the bone, joint and surrounding soft tissue to determine what was really going on and preventing him from getting back to running. Today on the Doc On...
Jul 22, 2019•17 min•Ep. 186
Anytime you make a mistake in training, push a little too hard and get injured, you have pain. That pain creates an urgent need for answers. Specifically a need to answer three specific questions: 1. What is causing this pain? What is the diagnosis? 2. What is the treatment? What can I have to do to heal it? 3. How fast is it going to get better? Basically you want to know what happened, and how quickly you can fix it. You want to put a name on the problem, start the correct treatment and have a...
Jul 19, 2019•9 min•Ep. 185
Runners often get dark discoloration in the toenails. That discoloring can happen after long runs, trail runs, wearing ill-fitting running shoes or trauma. The question is whether or not the dark brown, blue or black area in the toenail is just a bruise or something more ominous. If you get a bruise under the toenail, it will gradually get better. If you get toenail fungus, it will gradually get worse. Today on the Doc On the Run podcast we're talking about how a runner can tell a bruise under t...
Jul 17, 2019•6 min•Ep. 184
If you're a runner and you've been injured, you need to challenge your doctor to do better. You are going to probably feel like challenging your doctor would have to be somewhat confrontational. That doesn't mean you have to be offensive. But you have to do something different if you really want to get your doctor on board with a rapid return to running. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how you should challenge your doctor to better when you are a runner....
Jul 15, 2019•6 min•Ep. 183
Everybody wants to believe that there is some best practice, some standard of care, some safest way for you to heal when you get a metatarsal stress fracture or achilles tendinitis or peroneal tendinitis or plantar fasciitis or any other common overuse training injury when you're a runner. But there is nothing that is risk-free. Nothing is free in medicine. It's not free in terms of costs, and it's not free in terms of risk. And for most runners, the risk part is the bigger part of the equation....
Jul 12, 2019•7 min•Ep. 182
How much time do I need to take off from running after my race? The time you need to take off from running after race all depends on how long the race is and how hard you ran. How much time do I need to take off from running if I get a running injury? That depends upon your physiology and the status of your healing machine today. You need to think about how fast you think you can heal, based on your fitness, physiology and level of training. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking abo...
Jul 10, 2019•14 min•Ep. 181
A runner with a metatarsal stress fracture recently asked… “Isn’t it true that a fracture walking boot and crutches is the risk-free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture?" Although I hope you won’t tell my daughter, there are no unicorns. And there is no risk-free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how the risk free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture and other unicorns.
Jul 08, 2019•6 min•Ep. 180
This weekend I was rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park with my son. At one point he started climbing up to a point where we were going to practice rappelling. He chose to climb up a way I knew was more difficult than necessary. But he wanted to proceed, so I let him. You have to know whether or not you can proceed with the given activity without getting hurt. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how rock climbing is a lot like sports medicine....
Jul 05, 2019•6 min•Ep. 179
Toenail fungus may be gross but it's common, especially in runners. Running shoes are perfect little incubators for foot fungus. The inside of shoes are hot, dark and moist. Running shoes can be the ideal environment for fungal infections. And you want to make sure you don't get a toenail fungus infections, you need to make sure you keep the fungus out of your shoes. But there are three simple precautions you can take to make sure you don't have a fungus farm in your running shoes. Today on the ...
Jul 03, 2019•6 min•Ep. 178
Many years ago I heard a quote from Tony Robbins. He said, “Remember, a real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.” When you're an injured runner you can't just wait for it to heal like a normal patient because the whole time you're waiting, things are getting worse. You are losing your aerobic fitness, you are getting weaker, you are losing your neuromuscular connections. Your form is falling apart. If you have an overtra...
Jul 01, 2019•5 min•Ep. 177
If you are a runner and you have some pain, and maybe a little bit of swelling, in the ball of the foot under the toes, you might be concerned you have a plantar plate sprain. Maybe you were diagnosed with “metatarsalgia.” Maybe you thought you had a metatarsal stress fracture. But maybe after listening to one of these talks on plantar plate injuries, you started to think you might have plantar plate sprain instead. Obviously if you are treating the wrong condition, you are not likely to improve...
Jun 28, 2019•9 min•Ep. 176
I just got an email recently from someone who is a runner and one of the things he asked, he said, "Should I be patient, and are the chances good that the pain will subside after four to six weeks on its own, of just not running?” Well, that's a good question, but that depends. The first thing that you have to think about when a doctor tells you, you just should take off running, and stop activity, stop doing everything for four to six weeks, you have to ask yourself several questions. Today on ...
Jun 26, 2019•7 min•Ep. 175
If you go to the doctor, and you tell the doctor that you run on trails, you've sprained your ankles before, and you seem to roll ankles frequently, the doctor will tell you that you are suffering from “chronic ankle instability.” If your ankle just feels unstable when you're on uneven ground, when you step on a root, or rock, or something, if your ankle sort of flips out from under you a little bit, it seems like you're spraining your ankle (but it doesn't even hurt), well that's something that...
Jun 24, 2019•10 min•Ep. 174
Training for a marathon is an active process. You have to think about what you're going to do, you have to come up with a plan. You have to design a training program that will get you stronger, get you faster, get you more fit and better prepared for your event, if you're going to finish your race on time. When you get injured, healing itself from that injury is an active process, but unfortunately by default, people revert into a passive process. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talki...
Jun 21, 2019•6 min•Ep. 173
There are only two cases in which a metatarsal stress fracture needs surgery. Before we get into that, I want to stress one point. If someone tells you you need surgery, you need a second opinion. Never, ever, ever have surgery when only one person tells a runner should have metatarsal surgery! Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about the only 2 times a metatarsal stress fracture needs surgery.
Jun 19, 2019•6 min•Ep. 172
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how lack of discipline causes running injury. This episode is probably going to rub a lot of runners the wrong way. No runner wants to think they lack discipline. Running is all about discipline. Running is about getting up early in the morning, about going for long runs in the dark, running when it's raining, running when it's hot, running when you just don't feel like running. For most people who are runners, we feel like and we believe ...
Jun 17, 2019•7 min•Ep. 171
Lots of runners who are in the midst of training, for some reason, they want to get custom orthotics. I know that we, as runners, we're always looking for the tools, the latest training techniques, the newest, coolest shoes, the best kind of socks, the newest heart rate monitors, whatever...to help us train better and be faster. There are a lot of misconceptions about custom orthotics and there are a lot of things that you should understand before you get custom orthotics. Today on the Doc on th...
Jun 14, 2019•7 min•Ep. 170
A few days ago, I got an email from a runner who wanted to know whether or not he should have surgery to fix his Jones fracture. Well, the first thing you have to know about this is that you should only have surgery if you believe that is the only way you're going to heal appropriately. When you're a runner, you really have to think about surgery very carefully. Because when you have surgery, your healing actually doesn't begin until after you're done with surgery. The healing process is always ...
Jun 12, 2019•5 min•Ep. 169
