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.
 

Top 3 Mistakes Runners make with plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of foot pain that might keep you from running. 

But some treatments that help "normal" patients may cause lingering trouble in runners. 

It seems like most of the runners who call me for help have made at least one, if not two of the three biggest mistakes runners can make with plantar fasciits.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we're talking about the top three mistakes runners make with plantar fasciitis. 

Would collagen supplementation help an interstitial tear?

Today's episode comes from Olivia who asked a question on the Doc On The Run YouTube channel: 
 

“I believe I'm dealing with an interstitial tear. Would supplementing collagen help the healing process?”
 

An interstitial tear just means you have little bitty tear on the inside of a tendon or ligament. 
 

You can get these types of injuries in the plantar plate ligament, the plantar fascia, or any tendon. All of those tendons and ligaments are made of collagen. 
 

So, it seems reasonable that collagen supplementation might help the healing process. But is it proven to work?
 

Would collagen supplementation help an interstitial tear and a runner? 
 

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

What size compression socks should I buy?

Compression socks are a useful tool when recovering from a running injury.  Just a little compression can gently squeeze all that inflammatory fluid out of your foot, your ankle and your leg. 

I was talking to a runner yesterday who asked me about the best compression sock sizing. She was worried that if the socks were too tight, they could hurt her fracture when she was pulling the socks on. That is a totally valid concern!

If it hurts when you're pulling on compression socks, you might actually be stretching, straining, and stressing the injured tissue. All that added stress could prolong your recovery. 

But if the compression socks are too loose, then you don't get much benefit. Size matters. 

What size compression socks should I buy if I have a running injury? 

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

3 Signs runner has the wrong doctor

If you got injured, but you're trying to get back to running, one of the most important decisions you can make is which doctor you choose to see. 

And it is entirely your choice. 

I just got off a call with a runner who had a really serious issue. 

She rolled her ankle. She treated it like a normal ankle sprain. 

But about six weeks later, it was still a little bit puffy. It still hurts. It was still bugging her, and she wanted to get a second opinion.

She did the right thing. She went and saw an orthopedic surgeon to get a second opinion. 

When we were on the call yesterday, there were three things that I saw as definite red flags and definite signs that this woman was seeing the wrong doctor. 

What are the top three ways you can be sure you're seeing the wrong doctor? 

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