Doc On The Run Podcast

2 ways capsulitis can lead to plantar plate rupture

If you get a plantar plate sprain, it can take a long time to heal, particularly if you're not paying close attention. 

And because of that, many runners get frustrated.

I see 2 responses to that frustration:

1)  go to the doctor and hope for some kind of quick fix.

2)  just ignore it and run on it because it doesn't really hurt that bad. 

Both of those are bad ideas with plantar plate injuries in runners. 

What are two ways capsulitis can actually lead to a plantar plate rupture? 

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

Osteoblast vs Osteoclast battle rebuilding bone after stress fracture

When you get a stress fracture, you need the little bitty crack in the bone to heal. 

How do you do that?

First, you have to stop bending or torquing or twisting the bone in a way that led to the crack in the first place.

Second, you have to let the healing process take place. 

After the inflammation goes away, and after you get some collagen sealing up the healing crack, you start to get "ossification" of the bone where it turns into hard solid bone that you can run on. 

That happens through a combination of two different types of cells in the bone called osteoblasts and osteoclasts.

Osteoblast versus osteoclast, the battle that’s rebuilding bone after a stress fracture. 

That's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

How long will it take my overtraining injury to heal?

How long does it take you to get fit enough to run a 3 hour marathon? 

Well, that depends on what? It depends on what you would actually do. Not how long you wait.

How long it takes for you to heal your overtraining injury all depends on what you do, and which variables you choose to control. Not how long you wait.

Believe it or not, every injured runner who calls me for a consultation has control over far more of these variables than they think.

How long will it take my overtraining injury to heal? 

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

3 running drills that can cause plantar plate sprain

If you're a runner with a plantar plate sprain, I can understand why you're frustrated.

You have some minor vague aching pain in the ball of the foot, and you're trying to get back to running, but you're getting lots of conflicting advice. 

In my experience, it's very rare that a runner gets a plantar plate injury from what I call "overtraining."

Plantar plate ligaments don't get sprained because you ran way too much, or ran too many miles. It doesn't really happen that way. But they do get injured by workouts designed to support your running fitness. 

What are three running drills that might lead to a plantar plate sprain? 

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

Who’s fault if a runner is not getting better?

If you're trying to improve and you don't improve, whose fault is it? 

Before we talk about running injuries, let's talk about when you're not injured. You hire a coach. You know the coach is qualified, You know your coach has given you a valid training plan, and you know that you can execute.

But then something goes sideways. Your baby gets sick. You get an additional work project. You are sent away out of town on work.  Something happens, and you miss some workouts. 

If you don't communicate that to your coach, and you just skip workouts, or inadvertently stack workouts together to make up for missed workouts, and then you get injured, whose fault is that?

Whose fault is it if an injured runner is not getting better?

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

 

What is the most important ingredient to a runner after a plantar plate sprain?

I often get nutrition questions from runners who have overtraining injuries involving tissues made of collagen like the plantar plate ligament.

At the heart of these questions is what is the most important ingredient to add in their diet to speed recovery.

In this episode we are briefly discussing the key ingredients your body needs to repair collagen. If you are missing these, you might have a slower repair process if you have a partial tear of the plantar plate ligament itself.

What is the most important ingredient to a runner after a plantar plate sprain? 

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

Do not ask me if you do not know your pain numbers

In the Injured Runners Aid Station, I get questions from injured runners that stop me in my tracks.

“I got this injury while running. I had a stress fracture. It was grade two stress fracture. It's been six weeks. How much longer will it be before I can run?”

Every injured runner wants to know when it will be safe to run. But, I cannot make that decision based on that information. It seems crazy, but "how long until you can run" is never just about "how long since the injury started."

Do not ask me if you don't know your pain numbers. 

That's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Tall fracture boot vs Short fracture boot, which is better for runners?

It's no secret that I truly believe fracture walking boots are overprescribed, overused and used for way too long for many injured runners with many different kinds of overtraining injuries.

But sometimes I recommend runners use a fracture walking boot for a short period of time. Then teh question becomes which kind? Short boot or Tall boot?

A tall fracture walking boot versus a short fracture walking boot. Which one is better if you're an injured runner? 

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

Do I have to wait for a callus to go away before I can run?

I just saw a woman with an extremely painful callus on the bottom of her foot. She got a type of callus doctors call an "intractable plantar keratosis." When you get one of these calluses, it turns into a tiny rock hard callus embedded deep in the skin on the bottom of the foot.

It hurts. It's like having a little rock taped to your foot. In theory, you can start running as soon as the callus is removed. 

But the real question is whether or not running right away will increase the probability of getting the same callus again. 

Do I have to wait for my callus to go away before I can run? 

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

How can I tell if I should have surgery to remove a big toe fracture fragment?

If you get a fracture in your big toe joint it can be easy to get talked into surgery. Especially if you see fragments on an X-ray. 

Your doctor may call old broken bone pieces by a number of terms:

"Osteophytes"

"Fracture fragments" 

"Loose bodies"

"Surgical targets"

If your doctor points them out and starts talking about surgery, the chances are good that you're going to want to have them removed. But there are times when surgery is totally unnecessary. 

How can I tell if I really need to have surgery to remove a fracture fragment in my big toe joint? 

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