#741 Worst imaging study for plantar plate injury in runners

If you are a runner with pain in the ball of the foot at the base of the second toe and start researching online, you may become concerned you have a thing called a plantar plate injury.

If so, you may be wondering whether X-rays or MRI imaging may be needed to tell what is wrong. Before seeing a doctor, it may be helpful to understand which are helpful, and which imaging studies are a waste of time.

What is the worst possible medical imaging study you could get if you’re a runner with a suspected plantar plate injury?

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

#737 Are “stress reaction” and “metatarsalgia” the same?

Today’s question comes from one of the YouTube viewers. Tasnim, wrote in and wanted to know whether or not “stress reaction” is the same terminology that is used in the UK for the term “metatarsalgia”.

This question points out how confusing these two terms can be when you have forefoot pain that might be a stress fracture, might be a plantar plate sprain, or could even be a neuroma.

Are stress “reaction” and “metatarsalgia” the same terms?

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

#729 Logical vs. Psychological barrier to healing running injuries

I just had a discussion with a really interesting patient. He was a pro triathlete. He had some difficulty getting past a particular injury.

We were talking about all of the ways that you can encounter barriers to healing. And how you can start making progress in spite of them.

We were talking about two different things, logical and psychological barriers.

What’s the difference between logical versus psychological barriers to healing injuries in runners?

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

#722 3 Callus patterns show risk for Plantar Plate Sprain in runners

If you are a runner and you get pain in the ball of the foot, particularly at the base of the second toe right. It could be a plantar plate sprain.

Whenever I see a runner on webcam who has pain that sounds like a plantar plate sprain, the first thing I do is look for any callus pattern in the skin that suggests they have too much pressure and friction at that area that could injure the plantar plate ligament underneath the skin.

This episode will help you understand how certain callus patterns relate to some basic foot mechanics when you’re trying to figure out what is causing your ball of foot pain.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about three callus patterns I often see that can suggest you have a risk for getting a plantar plate sprain if you are a runner.

#720 3 reasons for Cheilectomy failure after Hallux Rigidus surgery

If you have a condition called “hallux rigidus” or “hallux limitus,” the name tells you what’s wrong.

“Hallux” means big toe.

“Rigidus” means the big toe joint doesn’t move at all.

“Limitus” just means the big toe joint movement is limited and stiff.

There are three problems with hallux rigidus, which are: 1) damage to the cartilage, 2) bone spurs around the joint and 3) restriction of the soft tissues such that the toe doesn’t move up and down the way it should.

Those three reasons that cause the condition are the same reasons that can fail if you have a cheilectomy surgery.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about three reasons for cheilectomy failure after hallux rigidus surgery.

#718 Broken toes with an ankle sprain?

Let’s say you’re out on a trail run, you roll your ankle and sprain it. So what do you do?

You limp home, you get back to the car, you ice it, you take some pressure off of it, you elevate it, you do all the right stuff. But, it’s really painful and swollen the next few days.

Then, maybe a day or two later, it’s black, it’s blue and swollen. But even worse, you look down and you’re kind of dismayed because your toes are swollen like sausages.

Believe it or not, I have had a number of patients who called me, not because they sprained their ankle, but because they were actually worried they may have broken toes as well.

Is it possible to break your toes at the same time you get an ankle sprain?

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

#650 How soon can I run after 5th Metatarsal Fracture Surgery?

Today’s episode actually comes from a comment and a question sent in by one of the viewers of the Doc On The Run YouTube channel.

This was Jean, wrote in and she said,

“Hello, Dr. Segler. I had a fifth metatarsal fracture repair surgery five weeks ago. I was started to walk without crutches and a knee walker or a scooter as of yesterday, but my foot feels achy, though. Well, as a runner, when can I possibly resume running after my metatarsal surgery?”

This is what everybody wants to know.

I didn’t do the surgery and I don’t know all the details, but I can tell you that depending upon when you’re going to run after a surgery depends upon several things.

How soon can I run after fifth metatarsal fracture surgery?

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

#518 How long to wait before running with a stress fracture?

I got a question from a runner who’s had a metatarsal stress fracture who’s very frustrated, who’s trying to figure out how to get back to running. He went and saw a doctor and he was told that he had a stress fracture and the doctor told him to take some time off of running. Then he started watching some YouTube videos, started listening to some podcasts, and then asked me a very serious question: How long do I have to wait to run with a metatarsal stress fracture? Well, that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On the Run podcast.

#511 Can a stress fracture spread from one metatarsal to the bone next to it?

One thing that’s really demoralizing if you get a stress fracture is to spend a bunch of time in a fracture walking boot and then go get something like an MRI and be shocked and horrified when the doctor says, “Well, not only do you have a stress fracture in that bone, it looks like you’ve got a stress fracture in another bone as well.” If you think this stress fracture might have spread well, it could. But not the way an infection would spread. There is a way that stress related inflammation in a neighboring bone can spread after getting the original stress fracture. Can a stress fractures spread from one bone to another? That’s a great question and that’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.

#435 What can cause aching pain a year after a metatarsal stress fracture?

This episode actually comes from a recent live Q&A I did with recovering injured runners and during these calls you can come on and you can ask me anything that you want about your specific situation.

This was a really great question that came from one of the runners on the call and he was concerned about this discomfort he was getting in his foot a full year after he had a metatarsal stress fracture.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about what can cause aching pain in the top of the foot a year after a metatarsal stress fracture?