#950 Does a runner always have to finish the standard 5-6weeks of crutches?

Does a runner always have to finish the standard five or six weeks on crutches? Well, that is a great question and that is what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.     Today’s episode comes from a question that was posted on one of the YouTube videos, specifically on […]

#893 Biggest mistake doctor can make in runner who was on crutches

I was just giving a lecture at the 46th annual International Foot & Ankle foundation meeting at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

A foot surgeon in the audience asked a great question during the question-and-answer period following one of my lectures. Specifically, the lecture was medical imaging strategies to avert misdiagnosis in runners.

She asked, “After a runner has been offloaded with crutches and placed in a fracture walking boot or a cast for immobilization, do you incorporate cross training, or only focus on running?”

What is the one biggest mistake any doctor can make with a runner who has been on crutches?

Well, that is what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run podcast.

#864 The 3 problems (not 2) solved by boot and crutches

I’m not going to tell you that any runner should want to use crutches. I’m also not going to tell you that you will enjoy wearing a fracture walking boot.

But there are reasons that you may want to do things a little differently if you’re a runner.

The critical issue is that runners must really try to speed up the healing process as much as possible, so that you can avoid losing your running fitness.

What are the three time-sensitive problems solved when you use a fracture walking boot and crutches at the same time?

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

#824 Is 2 weeks on crutches better than one week with a tibial stress fracture?

I just got a great question from a runner with a tibial stress fracture that had been misdiagnosed with shin splints.

She wanted to know how long to use the crutches.

Is two weeks on crutches better than one week when I have a tibial stress fracture?

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

#822 Minimal restrictive intervention is the goal with runners

If you are an injured runner, you are probably limiting your activity.

Doctors who don’t understand how important it is for you to get back to running tend to limit runner’s workouts more than necessary. They’re more restrictive than necessary. And it costs you.

You lose more fitness, you get weaker, you get stiffer, you get neuromuscular changes that damage your running form, and disrupts your coordinated firing of muscle units that makes you efficient.

All of that gets damaged over the weeks that you’re not running. So, it’s really important that you maintain your fitness.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about how the minimum restrictive intervention should always be the goal with injured runners.

#816 When is a boot better than crutches for tibial stress fracture in a runner?

A stress fracture in your tibia, or shin bone, is a bad injury. You definitely don’t want the crack to grow to the point where it could break.

The big question is what will make a tibial stress fracture better, faster…crutches or a fracture walking boot?

When is a fracture walking boot better than crutches for a tibial stress fracture if you’re a runner?

That’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

#735 Bedrest is like Chemo for Runners

One of the most powerful ways to reduce stress and strain on any piece of injured tissue is to get completely off of your feet. Bedrest can do that.

I was talking with a runner recently who asked a great question,

“Should I just do bed rest?”

I answered,

“Bed rest is like chemo for runners.”

With chemotherapy, we’re basically giving you a powerful drug.

But is it going to kill the tumor first, or is it going to kill the patient first?

Bed rest is like chemotherapy for runners, and that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

#704 How long should I use crutches?

Today’s episode comes from a question posted as a YouTube video comment.

That video was explaining how using crutches for a short period of time can help injured runners.

I wasn’t talking about months of crutches, not many weeks, but a short period of time to try to accelerate the process of healing over-training injuries.

In the comments someone posted and said, “How long would you use crutches for this…?”

How long should I use crutches?

Well, that’s a million-dollar question! And that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

#526 Is a boot enough for a tibial stress fracture in runners?

Today’s episode is going to be a good one for you to listen to, if you’ve been told that you have a tibial stress fracture, or if you just think you might have a tibial stress fracture. If you get a tibial stress fracture, the chances are really good that the doctor’s going to do something to really restrict your running, and potentially your ability to move around at all. For example, if you get a fracture walking boot and it’s on your right foot, well, you can’t even drive a car so you’ve got to take this seriously. Is a fracture walking boot enough when you have a tibial stress fracture and you’re a runner? Well, that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run podcast.

#482 The best and worst way to stop using crutches

If you suffer a severe running injury, some doctors will give you crutches to speed up the recovery process. Healing any running injury is a race against time. All overtraining injuries will eventually heal. But if you take a long time to heal, you’re going to lose a lot of running fitness. You will get weaker, stiffer and develop a loss of coordination.That loss of fitness will make it very difficult for you to achieve your running goals after you fully recover. The goal isn’t to heal. The goal is to run without re-injury. Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about the best and worst ways to stop crutches if you’re an injured runner.