Doc On The Run Podcast

How long before I can run with a 2nd metatarsal stress fracture?

I get lots of questions from injured runners about stress fractures. 

As a consequence, one of the most common questions I get is, "How long before I can run if I get a second metatarsal stress fracture." 

So, in this case I decided to ask Dr. CHAT-GPT that question and see what happens!

How long before I can run with a second metatarsal stress fracture? 

Well, that is a great question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

From plantar plate sprain and Achilles tendinitis to running UTMB Mont-Blanc

Today on the Doc on the Run podcast, we're talking with Dr. Ralph Gonzalez about running UTMB Mont Blanc after recovering from a plantar plate sprain and Achilles tendinosis.

Specifically, he's here to talk about his path from injury to crossing the finish line at UTMB and what inspired him to run the challenging race.

From plantar plate sprain and Achilles tendinitis to running UTMB Mont-Blanc.

When can I walk barefoot at home with a 2nd metatarsal stress fracture?

I was talking with an injured runner who had a stress fracture in the second metatarsal bone.

He was working hard to get it to heal faster. He had gone through the stress fracture course for runners, and he was doing great.

He asked me a question:

When can I walk at home barefoot with a second metatarsal stress fracture? 

Well, that is a great question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

4 times navicular fracture may need surgery

I have recently had a rash of runners with navicular fractures. 

The navicular is a bone that is right on the top of your foot, in front of your ankle and it's also at the apex of your arch.

Navicular fractures are scary because doctors often recommend surgery. 

There are four times when you might really need to have surgery for a navicular fracture and in this episode, we are going to talk about why. 

What are the four times a navicular fracture might need surgery? 

Well, that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

 

Can an accessory navicular stress fracture cause flexor hallucis longus tendinitis in a runner?

I was on a second opinion call with a runner. She developed a stress fracture in her accessory navicular bone.

If that wasn’t enough, she then started having pain in her arch in the tendon that pulls on her big toe. That tendon is called the Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon, or FHL Tendon. 

Can an accessory navicular stress fracture cause flexor hallucis longus tendinitis in a runner?

Well, the short answer is yes, and I am going to explain how in today's episode of the Doc On The Run podcast.

Can bone scan tell Jones stress fracture from Styloid stress reaction in a runner?

Jones fracture is a scary injury if you are a runner.

If you have been diagnosed with a Jones fracture and want to start running sooner, you must understand the severity.

Can a bone scan help you tell the difference between a Jones fracture stress reaction and a styloid stress reaction in a runner?

Well, good question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Why should runners sleep in boot for 5th metatarsal stress fracture?

If you get a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal, there are a couple of reasons why you might want to sleep in a fracture walking boot.

Your goal is to keep the total amount of stress applied to that stress fracture under your threshold for healing, throughout the entire 24-hour period. 

Why should I sleep in a boot for a fifth metatarsal stress fracture? 

Well, that is a great question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Bone Scan vs. X-ray for 2nd metatarsal c reaction in a runner

If you get a metatarsal stress reaction or a metatarsal stress fracture your doctor may order medical imaging to figure out how bad it really is. 

Your doctor's goal is to really figure out if it is a stress reaction or is it a stress fracture.

What is the difference when it comes to medical imaging using a bone scan versus an x-ray when you are looking for a second metatarsal stress fracture in a runner?

Well, that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

 

First test run 2 weeks after injury, how long should I run?

You have a couple of options when you get injured. 

One option is to wait so long that you know for a fact it has to be healed enough that it can withstand the forces of running. 

The other option is to move that timeline faster and make things happen a lot quicker. The only way to do that is by testing. One of the things you can test with is a test run. 

A runner asked me how long her first test run should be, if she had been two weeks since the injury actually had happened.

Let us say you have been injured and you take a couple of weeks off. How long should your test run be? 

Well, that is a great question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

Can thinking about healing make your running injury heal faster?

Whenever you consciously give your brain direction, your subconscious brain will go to work to achieve it.

Your subconscious mind is not just controlling things that you want to happen but it's controlling things that you don't want, too. 

If you focus on negativity, if you focus on your injury getting worse, you will probably get worse.

So, the question is can you take this aspect of your brain and controlling your subconscious mind and use it to your advantage when you are trying to heal and get back to running?

Can simply thinking about healing make your running injury heal faster? 

Well, that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.