If you a runner in training and you break one of your toes, or snap a metatarsal bone, you may worry about hoe long you need to stop running. 

When you are get a fractured bone, you probably want to know what it will take to heal the bone and how quickly it is going to heal. 

One of the ways doctors classify broken bones in the feet and toes is whether it is a “displaced fracture" or a “non-displaced fracture." 

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about the difference between a a displaced vs non displaced fracture, and what it means if you are a runner. 

Yesterday I was talking to a runner who had an ankle sprain that didn't improve. After about a year of not be able to run, having pain when walking and becoming really frustrated with not being able to run, he called me for a second opinion. 

During that discussion he asked me whether or not it would be better to get an MRI or a CT scan to evaluate the bone, joint and surrounding soft tissue to determine what was really going on and preventing him from getting back to running. 

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about whether an MRI or CT of your foot is better when you have a running injury.

Anytime you make a mistake in training, push a little too hard and get injured, you have pain.  That pain creates an urgent need for answers. Specifically a need to answer three specific questions: 

1. What is causing this pain? What is the diagnosis?  

2. What is the treatment? What can I have to do to heal it? 

3. How fast is it going to get better?   

Basically you want to know what happened, and how quickly you can fix it. You want to put a name on the problem, start the correct treatment and have an expectation of how quickly that treatment will give you the result you want. 

Above all else, you want to know when you can run.

Runners often get dark discoloration in the toenails. That discoloring can happen after long runs, trail runs, wearing ill-fitting running shoes or trauma.

The question is whether or not the dark brown, blue or black area in the toenail is just a bruise or something more ominous. 

If you get a bruise under the toenail, it will gradually get better.

If you get toenail fungus, it will gradually get worse.

Today on the Doc On the Run podcast we're talking about how a runner can tell a bruise under the toenail from toenail fungus.

If you're a runner and you've been injured, you need to challenge your doctor to do better.

You are going to probably feel like challenging your doctor would have to be somewhat confrontational. 

That doesn't mean you have to be offensive. 

But you have to do something different if you really want to get your doctor on board with a rapid return to running.

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how you should challenge your doctor to better when you are a runner.

Everybody wants to believe that there is some best practice, some standard of care, some safest way for you to heal when you get a metatarsal stress fracture or achilles tendinitis or peroneal tendinitis or plantar fasciitis or any other common overuse training injury when you're a runner.

But there is nothing that is risk-free. 

Nothing is free in medicine. 

It's not free in terms of costs, and it's not free in terms of risk. And for most runners, the risk part is the bigger part of the equation.

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how there’s is no healing for a runner without risk.

How much time do I need to take off from running after my race?

The time you need to take off from running after race all depends on how long the race is and how hard you ran.

How much time do I need to take off from running if I get a running injury?

That depends upon your physiology and the status of your healing machine today.

You need to think about how fast you think you can heal, based on your fitness, physiology and level of training.

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how long you should take off running to recover. 

A runner with a metatarsal stress fracture recently asked… 

“Isn’t it true that a fracture walking boot and crutches is the risk-free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture?" 

Although I hope you won’t tell my daughter, there are no unicorns. 

And there is no risk-free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture. 

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how the risk free way to heal a metatarsal stress fracture and other unicorns.

This weekend I was rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park with my son. At one point he started climbing up to a point where we were going to practice rappelling. 

He chose to climb up a way I knew was more difficult than necessary. But he wanted to proceed, so I let him.

You have to know whether or not you can proceed with the given activity without getting hurt.

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about how rock climbing is a lot like sports medicine.

Toenail fungus may be gross but it's common, especially in runners. 

Running shoes are perfect little incubators for foot fungus.

The inside of shoes are hot, dark and moist. Running shoes can be the ideal environment for fungal infections. And you want to make sure you don't get a toenail fungus infections, you need to make sure you keep the fungus out of your shoes. 

But there are three simple precautions you can take to make sure you don't have a fungus farm in your running shoes. 

Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we're talking about the 3 most important ways runners prevent foot fungus.