#764 Fast & Easy vs. Fast & Cheap fracture imaging

I was just speaking with a runner who scheduled a second opinion consultation. He asked, “what is the best way to tell if my foot is broken.”

I said, “Well, there’s the fast and easy way and then there’s the fast and cheap way.”

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about fast and easy versus fast and cheap ways to tell if your foot is broken.

#540 No Proof No Permission to Run

I get questions all the time, daily almost, where somebody will send me a message and they’ll say, “Well, I saw a doctor and they said I had this injury, and they said that I couldn’t run for six weeks. Would you let me run?” Well, the answer is no. There’s a reason doctors don’t give you permission to run, and there are really four ways that you can tell, ways you can get permission. I think it’s important to talk about these four ways that you can actually get permission to run. No proof, no permission to run. That’s what we’re talking about today on the Doc On The Run podcast.

#493 Why runners should always get a copy of X-ray or MRI image disk!

I was just on a second opinion telemedicine call with an injured runner. She had a recurring injury that was still keeping her from running. Unfortunately, that injury first started eight years ago. When you have an injury, and you get x-rays, an MRI or a CT scan, or any kind of medical imaging study that shows more detail than the x-rays, you should always get a copy of that disc. This runner’s story is a great example of why you need those images. Today on the Doc On The Run podcast we’re talking about why runners should always get copies of the x-ray or MRI imaging disk.

#474 Can I run if my fracture is not yet healed on x-ray?

I was just doing a call with a runner who started running before his fracture was healed on the x-ray.
In fact his regular doctor said he couldn’t run on it until the x-rays showed healing.
I let him start running on it, in a very structured way. Now he is back to full running.
If the bone is always getting stronger while it is healing, do you really need to wait until the x-ray finally proves it has fully healed?
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about whether or not you can run if you fracture is not yet healed on x-ray.

#418 My foot x-ray was negative. Could it still be broken?

This episode comes from a podcast listener who is training for the High Lonesome 100 mile race.

Kate wrote in to ask:

I rolled my foot at my child’s field day. I heard a crunch and immediately saw swelling and discoloration on the lateral midfoot area of my left foot. An x-ray was negative. A week later there is no change. I have not run but it is not healing. Could it be broken?

That’s a great question and that’s what we are talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast!

#375 Can it be a stress fracture with no crack?

I was just doing a telemedicine call with a runner with a stress fracture, and he had a really interesting question.

He said, “Look, I just really want to know if I really have a stress fracture because my doctor took an x-ray and there was no crack in the bone. I looked it up myself and the definition of a fracture is a visible crack.”

Do I really have a stress fracture, or not?

This is a great question, it brings up a really interesting point.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about whether or not a runner can have a stress fracture, if there is no crack in the bone.

#366 What is an osteochondral defect in a runner?

A few minutes ago I was on a second opinion telemedicine cal with runner who was told he had an MRI showing an “osteochondral defect.”
The doctor told him to stop running.
If a joint surface gets damage, you may develop a little soft-spot called an “osteochondral defect.”
Just because you have an osteochondral defect, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop running, but you do need to figure out whether or not it’s actually a problem that could get worse if you don’t address it.
Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about osteochondral defects in runners.

#346 Can x-rays show a plantar plate injury?

What can x-rays show you about a plantar plate sprain?

#267 Bulge in metatarsal bone stress fracture on x-ray

A runner with a stress fracture just called me for a phone consultation.

He was concerned because he got an X-ray and saw a bulge in the bone.

The question was whether or not this bulging area of healing bone in the stress fracture was a good thing or a bad thing.

More than anything else he just wanted to know if the lump of bone on the x-ray was an indication that it was okay to start running.

Sometimes a lump of bone on your x-ray is good thing, but sometimes a bad thing.

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about whether or not a bulge in your metatarsal bone on an x-ray of a stress fracture tells you if it is healed enough to start running.

#252 How long to heal stress reaction vs stress fracture in a runner?

Is there a difference in healing time when there is a crack in the bone visible on x-ray, compared to when a runner has a “stress fracture” with no visible crack on x-rays.

What do you think?

Would it take less time to return to running if you have a stress fracture with no crack visible on an x-ray than if you do actually have a crack visible on an x-ray?

The answer surprised many doctors a medical conference where I as just lecturing and it may surprise you, too.

Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast, we’re talking about how long it takes to heal stress reaction vs stress fracture in a runner.