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.
View Details »If you are a runner who thinks you have a tendon tear, ligament tear or other overtraining injury, you may want an MRI. In fact, you may be convinced an MRI will give you a crystal clear picture of what may be wrong inside your foot or ankle.
But, I believe many many runners and doctors rely way to heavily on MRI for running injuries.
Today we are going to talk about a study published in Foot and Ankle International in 1998.
The research study was led by Dr. Matthew Rocket (a well-respected foot and ankle surgeon) in Houston Texas.
This was a great study comparing the effectiveness of MRI and diagnostic ultrasound when trying to decide whether or not there is an actual tear in a tendon around the foot and ankle.
Is an MRI best way to check for a tendon tear in a runner?
Well, that’s what we’re talking about, today, on the Doc On The Run Podcast.
View Details »If you have trouble with your Achilles tendon and a doctor told you that you might actually rupture it and tear completely if you continue to run, you should probably be worried.
If you are anxious about your Achilles, stay with me.
I have some good news and some bad news.
A recovering runner in the Runners Aid Station asked me…
“If I rupture my Achilles tendon, if I just ignore the tendinosis, if I just block out the pain, continue to run, continue to train, and then it does rupture, would I be able to run after it heals?”
Great question…
Will I be able to run after a ruptured Achilles tendon?
Well, that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.
View Details »Today’s episode comes from a question from one of the YouTube viewers. The specific question was, are calcified Achilles tendons more prone to tendon rupture in runners?
That’s a great question.
I think if you ask most doctors, their answer is probably going to be yes.
But since I got this very specific question, I actually wanted to see if there is any research that truly proves whether or not Achilles tendons that have calcification or ossification within them, whether or not they’re actually more prone to rupture in runners.
Are calcified Achilles tendons more prone to rupture in runners?
Well, that’s what we’re going to talk about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.
View Details »I just got a call from a runner who I have seen before. He had swelling in his Achilles tendon, and he was worried about it.
He was worried that he could have a ruptured or completely torn Achilles tendon.
If you are a runner and you get a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon, this is one of the worst things that could possibly happen to you.
A torn Achilles is way worse than a broken bone. The worst thing you could do is ignore a torn Achilles. You do not want to ignore it!
Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about an easy at home test you can do if you think you have a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon.
View Details »I was just watching an injured runner walk. We were trying to pin down her diagnosis and figure out why she was getting injured. She asked me what I actually saw when analyzing her gait. One of the things I saw was that she had this thing called extensor substitution. She wanted to know how it contributed to the issues she has been having when she was running. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about extensor substitution in runners.
View Details »If you are reading this because you are researching Achilles tendinosis, I’m sorry. Achilles tendinosis is one of the worst injuries a runner can get. Tendinosis is a serious problem and must be treated aggressively. It is helpful to understand what you really need to do.You also need to understand Achilles tendinosis treatments doctors often recommend, which you might want to avoid. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about Achilles tendon calcification in runners with tendinosis.
View Details »The other day I was talking to a runner who had some abnormal findings on the x-rays. What we could see was calcification in the Achilles tendon that looked like bone chips. She wanted to know if she should have surgery to remove the calcification or little bony chips that were inside her Achilles tendon. Now, the interesting part of the story is that the Achilles calcification was discovered from an x-ray where she had a stress fracture in one of the metatarsals….in a completely different part of her foot! The pain she was having when running didn’t even come from an Achilles tendon problem. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about the difference between pathologic versus abnormal findings on x-rays and MRIs in runners.
View Details »A podcast listeners wrote in and she asked,
“How long do I need to stop running or take it easy after taking five doses, meaning two and a half days, of Cipro?
I told my doctor I was a runner, so I didn’t trust their opinion on when or how I should run.
I haven’t run since finding out the side effects two weeks ago, and the Achilles feels weak and a little thicker than the other side.”
This is a great question, and she is right to be concerned because the FDA issued a black box warning because of an association between Cirpo antibiotics and Achilles tendon ruptures.
Today on the Doc on the Run podcast, we’re talking about a runner with Achilles tendon worries after taking Cipro antibiotics.
Just this weekend, I got a call from somebody who said that she was out on a run, she felt a pop in the back of her heel, she went to the emergency room and she was told that she has a partial tear in her Achilles tendon.
I’m not really sure if they did x-rays or an MRI or an ultrasound or anything to confirm that, but the doctor seemed very confident that she had torn her Achilles tendon.
And so, she said that all they did really was they gave her some crutches and they told her to see a specialist, which is why she called me.
She asked me “I just found out that I tore my Achilles tendon. The emergency room physician gave me crutches. What should I do?”
Well, that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.