Doc On The Run Podcast

When can I run if my doctor says don’t run?

I don't like it when I hear a doctor said, "Don't run." 

What the doctor should say is, "Let's figure out how you can run." 

And if you're injured, that's what you should be thinking about too. 

Not, "When can I run?" 

But, "How can I work out right now?"

When can I run if my doctor says "don't run" because of an injury? 

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

How likely is a setback if I run while stress fracture heals?

Today I got a great question from a runner who had a 4th metatarsal stress fracture while training for a marathon. He wanted to know how likely it was to get a setback, or re-injury, if he is running while the stress fracture heals.

How likely is a setback if I run while my stress fracture heals? 

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

What can doctors do to relate to runners?

Today's episode comes from the question-and-answer session at the International Foot & Ankle Foundation meeting in Las Vegas. I was lecturing on Medical Imaging Strategies in Runners to Avert Misdiagnosis.
 
At the end of this talk that I was giving, one of the doctors, Dr. Brad Hayman, asked a great question, 
 
"A lot of us doctors who are not runners have a very difficult time relating to some of these runners because we don't necessarily get why it's so important that they're doing a particular race."
 
What can doctors do to relate to injured runners? 
 
Well, that's a great question, and that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

Can I let runners run in an ankle brace after an ankle sprain?

Today's episode comes from the question-and-answer period when I was lecturing at the International Foot & Ankle Foundation Medical Conference in Las Vegas. The talk was Conservative Management of Ankle Sprains in Runners Who Want to Run.
 
During that talk, I explained to the doctors everything that I do with runners who have ankle sprains. Afterward I got a great question from Dr. Bryan Markinson, who is a  prominent  physician from New York.

He said:
 
"Okay. Is this stupid or is this not stupid? Because, I get runners who really want to run. I figure when they're in good shape, it's okay for them to run in an ankle brace. Is that really a thing that you recommend or not?"
 
Can I let runners run in an ankle brace after they've had an ankle sprain? 
 
Well, that's a great question, and that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast

Workout while waiting to heal

All injured runners realize it's a problem.

You're not working out when they get an overtraining injury. You're told to sit still. But the problem is not that you're going stir crazy because you feel like you need to exercise. 
 
The problem you notice is that you're getting weaker, you're losing your fitness. And although I know that you're worried about losing your fitness, there is another problem you may not see. 
 
You should work out while you're waiting to heal. 
 
And that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

How to add miles and speed at lower risk if running after injury

I just got a great question from a runner with a cuboid fracture. He signed up for four weekly coaching calls as he was returning to running. 

He just wanted to make sure that he didn't make the fracture worse as he was actually getting back to activity. 
 
He asked, “Once I start running outside, can I use the Alter-G treadmill to add miles and speed while lowering overall tissue stress?”
 
Can I use the Alter-G treadmill to add miles and speed while lowering overall tissue stress after recovering from an injury? 
 
That's a great question and that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Can heel raises make insertional Achilles Tendinitis worse?

I got a question on one of the Doc On The Run YouTube channel videos about insertional Achilles tendinitis.

Kevin asked:
 
“For a few weeks, I had insertional Achilles tendinitis. I have read that doing heel raises over a step could make the situation even worse. Some suggest doing it on barefoot in a flat zone. What do you think?”
 
Can heel raises make insertional Achilles tendinitis worse? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast

Can Ultrasound have a false positive for fracture?

When I see a runner who's had a sprain or a trip or a fall or something, the #1 concern is to make sure no bones are broken. 

Most of the time, what I do is I take a portable ultrasound unit with me so that I can look at the foot on the spot and try to figure out whether or not there is a fracture. 
 
I had a question about this as a comment on one of the Doc On The Run YouTube video episodes where I was talking about ultrasound imaging in the foot when you're a runner. 

The question was, “Can you get a false negative? Can you get a false positive?”
 
Can you get a false negative if you're looking for a fracture with an ultrasound unit? 

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

How does callus show healing on non-displaced fractures?

Today's episode comes from a question on the Doc On The Run YouTube channel.  We were talking about how bone callus shows up as evidence of healing after a fracture in a runner.
 
Her question was:
 
“If there was no visible gap in between the bones where the fracture is, will the callus still be visible on the X-ray ? How will the callus show for non-displaced fractures on imaging? Thank you so much for creating this channel and for sharing all your expertise to the world.”
 
How does callus show healing on non-displaced fractures? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast. 

Audit your stress level to avoid re-injury

I was just on a webcam call with a runner who signed up for an initial consultation and then decided to get a few weeks of additional coaching where we just check in every week to make sure that he's not making any big mistakes that are going to cause a re-injury. 
 
We were talking about how the whole goal is to keep running without slowing down the healing.

The way you do that is that you stay below your threshold for re-injury or re-fracture of the bone.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how you should audit your stress level to avoid re injury when you start running after you're recovering from an overtraining injury.