Doc On The Run Podcast

Is fracture boot best for calcaneal stress fracture?

A calcaneal stress fracture is a terrible injury. 
 
What is a calcaneal stress fracture? 
 
"Calcaneus" is the medical term for heel bone.  When you get a stress fracture in the heel bone, doctors call it a calcaneal stress fracture.  When you run with a calcaneal stress fracture there is a risk the bone can actually shatter and break apart. 

That obviously would be bad. 
 
But there are three really interesting facts about the heel bone that you should think about.
 
Is a fracture walking boot the best thing when you have a calcaneal stress fracture? 
 
Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

Runners who recover faster workout before the perfect time

Today I went out for a run, but truthfully I wasn't really excited about it. It was cold, it was pouring rain, and I had a lot of stuff to do. I could have easily justified not putting on my running shoes, not going out and slogging through a bunch of mud puddles. 
 
I also hate to admit that part of the truth is, I had new running shoes. I just didn't want to get them all nasty and dirty running in the rain, because they were brand new. 
 
But I did run.

I enjoyed that cold wet run more than I thought that I would. But that's almost always the case when you're not really wanting to go out and workout, but you do anyway. Right?
 
When you're injured, and you're not exercising, you may wonder, "When should I start to exercise?" 

Remember, the best time to plant a tree was 100 years ago. 
 
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how runners who recover faster workout before the perfect time.

How can a dancer’s pad lead to plantar plate sprain?

I just got a great question from a runner who had been using a thing called a dancer's pad. 

A dancer's pad is sometimes used to help an injury to these little bones under the big toe joint called the "sesamoid bones."

If one of the sesamoids is painful and irritated and you're trying to take the pressure off of it, an easy way to do that is to place a dancer's pad in your shoe. 

How can a dancer's pad lead to a plantar plate sprain? 

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

How uncertainty costs injured runners

If you're a runner and you are listening to this, you probably have some kind of injury that's doing one of two things. 

Either it's keeping you completely off of your feet and you're not running at all, or you are basically running in a halfway fashion. You are not really doing your full workouts. Your workouts are not really gratifying.  And you don't really feel like you're making progress. 

You have to remember here, the enemy is time. 

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how uncertainty costs injured runners. 

Running the Grand Canyon with a calcaneal stress fracture, donating a kidney and other crazy adventures with Kate

In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast we have a real treat for you. Kate is someone I met through the Grand Canyon R2R2R Run Group and she has an amazing story!

If you are not familiar with what running the Grand Canyon entails, you start at one side, run from the rim of the Grand Canyon Down treacherous trails all the way to the bottom, then run across the bottom of the canyon and back up out of the canyon on the other side. Then you turn around and run back. 

Kate has agreed to come on the show today to talk about running the Grand Canyon. 

More specifically she is here to talk about running Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim with a calcaneal stress fracture!

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we are talking with Kate Stopa, about calcaneal stress fractures, running the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim, giving up a kidney.

You’ll have to wait 6 months before you can have an MRI

I just got a call from an ultra-marathoner I have seen a number of times over the years. 

He is not a wimp. He's a tough guy. He's very smart. He knows his body really well, and he got what we suspected was a partial tear in the plantar fascia. 

He didn't get better. He took weeks off. He couldn't run. He couldn't even hike! it was killing him, so I ordered an MRI. 

I diligently prepared the order for his MRI. I sent it to the facility. I wrote up all the various details which basically proved that his MRI study is medically necessary and completely justified...and they should pay for it. 

Well, the insurance company denied prior authorization for his MRI. 

You won't believe this, but the insurance company said he had to have heel pain FOR 6 MONTHS before they would allow him to get an MRI.

What would you do if you're a runner and you were told you're going to have to wait six months to get an MRI in order to make a decision about what you would do for treatment?

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

How to get tailored treatment vs cookie cutter protocols

Imagine this scenario. You are out on a long run. You have been training hard for your race. But near the end of your run, your foot starts to ache a little bit.

The next day when you wake up, it hurts. So maybe you take a day off, you don't run that day, and you skip a workout. 

The day after that, you go for a run and predictably it gets worse.

You call your local podiatrist. You make an appointment and when you're in the doctor's office, the doctor hands you a pre-written sheet (that is not designed for runners,) but designed for anybody that comes in with a metatarsal stress fracture or with plantar fasciitis or with Achilles tendonitis, or whatever. Those instruction sheets are not written for runners.

They're written for anyone and everyone who has that injury. It's supposed to fit everybody. Does that make any sense?

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how to get tailored treatment instead of some cookie cutter treatment plan when you go to the doctor with an overtraining injury. 

Difference between Dry needling vs PRP Injection for Achilles Tendinosis

Achilles tendinosis is one of the worst injuries you can get as an injured runner.  It is chronic, it's hard to get rid of, and the tendon feels noticeably different. 

The tendon gets thicker and it becomes constantly painful. Every time you run on it, you may worry that it might rupture or rip apart.

There are lots of different ways to treat Achilles tendinosis. Two of those options are PRP or platelet-rich plasma injection or a procedure called "dry needling." 

Yesterday in a live Runner's Aid Station call, an injured runner asked me to explain the specific differences between these two treatments. I thought it might be helpful to try to explain it to you the way I explained it during that call.

What's the difference between dry needling and PRP injection when you have Achilles tendinosis and you're a runner? 

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

Tenosynovitis running shoe lacing pattern

If the top of your foot hurts because you have extensor tenosynovitis, it can cause a lot of pain. But the condition is not complicated.

The extensor tendons run down across the top of your foot. The extensor tendons continue all the way out to the toes. The function of the tendons is to pull your toes up when you swing through in the swing phase of gait, so you don't trip over your toes when you run.

If you start running and your shoelaces actually push on the tendons with just a tiny bit too much force, the tendon sheath surrounding the tendons can get irritated. With continued aggravation, you get inflammation within the tendon sheath. A big painful spot right on the top of your foot is the result. 

So, there's a simple way you can decrease the irritation of the tendon sheath when you have extensor tenosynovitis.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about how you can alter your running shoe lacing pattern if you have this condition called tenosynovitis.

Distinguishing your wants from needs in running injury recovery

All of us want to get better when we have a running injury. 

We just want to run. But when you go to the doctor, things can start getting confusing.  The doctor may tell you what you need to do, but it doesn't always jive with what you really want to do. 

I thought it might be helpful for you to understand a little bit about the difference between true wants and needs when you go to the doctor. This may help you get your doctor to focus on what you really do need so you can get back to running sooner.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we're talking about distinguishing your wants from your needs and your running injury recovery.