Anytime doctors see persistent swelling and pain after an ankle injury, they become concerned there might be a fracture. 

When should a runner who rolled an ankle be concerned that there might be a fracture like a lateral process fracture? 

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

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. 

Just this week, I got a call from an injured runner about a new problem. I've seen him before for some other issues, but in this case.

He said that he thought maybe he actually had an ingrown toenail on his pinky or that the toenail itself had split in half and it was bugging him a little bit.

I said “Well, send me a picture. I'll take a look and see.”

My pinky toenail split in half. Is that a problem?

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

Today's episode comes from a YouTube viewer who posted a question, 

Today's episode comes from a YouTube viewer named John, who wrote in with a question about nerve pain vs. peroneal tendon pain. 

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

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". 

You're out on a run, and you suddenly start having extremely sharp heel pain.

You think it's plantar fasciitis. 

But when you look at your foot, you see a huge bruise. 

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?

Today I was on a call with an injured runner who was told she had plantar fasciitis. 

She suspected her diagnosis was wrong. 

If you have heel pain, and you call for a ride instead of finishing your run, it's not plantar fasciitis.