Doc On The Run Podcast

Can I still run after I heal a fibular stress fracture?

Today's episode comes from a question from one of the Doc On The Run YouTube channel viewers about fibular stress fractures. 

There are only tow bones between your knee and your foot: The Tibia (or shin bone) and the fibula bone, which is much smaller. 

The fibula bone supports very little of your weight when you run. Your knee is at the top of the tibia bone, and the other end of the tibia sits on top of the talus bone at the top of your foot. 

The tibia is the bone that really takes the pressure from your knee and redistributes it to your foot. The fibula bone is a stabilizing bone on the outside of your leg, it is not a weight bearing bone and it really does not support your weight or hold a lot of vertical force. 

Understanding the leg bone anatomy can help you understand the stresses that may cause a stress fracture in either one of the leg bones.  

Can I still run after I heal of fibular stress fracture? 

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

Fast & Easy vs. Fast & Cheap fracture imaging

I was just speaking with a runner who scheduled a second opinion consultation. He asked, "what is the best way to tell if my foot is broken." 

I said, "Well, there's the fast and easy way and then there's the fast and cheap way.”

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about fast and easy versus fast and cheap ways to tell if your foot is broken. 

Bone bruise for 10 months still not running

Today's episode comes from a comment on Doc On The Run YouTube channel. 

Colin watched the video explaining: “Bone bruise vs stress reaction in a runner.” He posted a question asking what he should do after a frustrating 10 months off from running, without improvement. 

I've had a bone bruise for 10 months and I'm still not running. What does that mean? 

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

You cannot run early without data

I just had a conversation with a runner who signed up for one of the self-help courses. She booked a short call just to get a jumpstart, prioritize and figure out what she really needed to do first, so she could get better as quickly as possible. 
 
She asked me a really interesting question at the end of our call and she said,

“Okay, based on what we talked about, are you sure that my ligament is not going to just rip apart if I start running?”

I said,

“No, I'm not sure of that at all. In fact, we didn't even talk about your injury. You told me that you think you have this injury. But you (and your doctors) are not even 100% certain you have a ligament injury. You don't even know what's really wrong. Right now, you don't know where you are, because you have no reliable data."

You cannot run early without data. 
 
And that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Do bunions cause plantar plate sprain in runners?

Perhaps the most nagging injury, and most difficult to deal with if you're a runner, is something called a "plantar plate sprain." 

The plantar plate ligament is on the bottom of the foot, usually at the base of the second toe. 

I got a question from a runner who actually had a plantar plate injury. She also happened to have bunions. So, she asked: 

"Do bunions cause plantar plate sprains in runners?" 

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

Is returning pain normal when running after a healed stress fracture?

Today's episode comes from Janet ,who posted a comment and question on the Doc On The Run YouTube channel. 
 
She said, 
 
“I got a healed stress fracture, returned to running. I got into cross country and it started to flare up and hurt around the tibia again, is this normal or should I be concerned?” 
 
Is returning pain normal when returning to running after a healed stress fracture? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Does a split peroneal tendon always require surgery in runners?

The peroneal tendons help stabilize your foot. They're kind of your landing gear when you run. They keep you from wobbling or swaying out of control. 

When you start to roll your ankle, the peroneal tendons pull your foot back under you. 

If you ignore irritation and aggravation of those tendons, they can get weaker, tear or split apart. 

The sudden trauma of suddenly rolling your ankle can cause them to split as well.
 
If you see a doctor when you suspect a split peroneal tendon, one of the first things you may find is that the doctors say this is a surgical problem. You may hear that you must have surgery to repair a split peroneus brevis tendon. 
 
That's not always true and I will explain why. 
 
Does a split peroneal tendon always mean you have to have surgery if you're a runner? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

 

Maintaining running fitness while injured is a delicate dance

Today's episode comes from a discussion I had with a runner who is only five weeks out from a marathon. 
 
She has been injured and super-aware that she could lose her fitness fast!

Her main goal on our call was to make sure that she is ready for the starting line, but more importantly, make it to the finish line fast enough to qualify for Boston. 
 
Maintaining your running fitness when you're injured is a delicate dance.
 
And that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

3 basic steps to straighten a crooked broken toe

There really are three basic steps that doctors use when you have a broken toe. 
 
The medical term for this procedure is called "closed reduction." 

We don't cut the broken toe open, look at the bones and put them in place. 

Instead, we leave the skin closed and manipulate the toe to pop the fracture back in place. 
 
This is a very common procedure doctors do. I even have done it many times in people's homes, most often with a runner who has a broken toe that really hurts.

I am going to explain the basic steps...but do not do this on your own!
 
What are the basic steps if you have a broken toe, it's crooked and you want to put it back in place?
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Do I have to use crutches for a fibula stress fracture?

One of the questions I get most often from runners with stress fractures is...

"How can I get it to heal better? How do I get back to running faster?"
 
The best way is to remove the stress so that the stress fracture can actually heal as fast as possible. That sounds obvious, but most runners aren't doing that. 
 
I talked to a runner just a couple of days ago who was not running on it, but she was walking on it...a lot. 

She told me, “Well, I have a fracture walking boot, but I'm walking in it and my foot hurts."
 
My first response was, “Why aren't you using crutches to take the stress off of it? If walking is making it hurt, you're not going to get better quickly. It'll get better eventually, probably, but certainly not as fast as possible.”
 
Do I have to use crutches if I have a fibula stress fracture? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.