Hello FLRunners! I was super excited to be asked to write the Ask The Doctor and Fit Runners series. I’ll have a new post every other week. As a runner for the last twenty years and the mother of two high school runners, it’s my life! I’ve run all distances from a 5K to a 100-mile race (with 50-mile races being my favorite) and on many continents from flat roads to Florida trails to mountains. During the day, I work as a physician and on some nights, I teach yoga. And of course every weekend, you can find me cheering on my own two stars on a cross country course somewhere. I’m looking forward to sharing lots of great information with you and am open to any suggestions for topics or questions. Happy Running!
How do I know if I’m injured?
Sarah has felt some aching in her right lower leg during her last several runs. Instead of getting better, now it not only aches while running but is more painful afterward. She thinks that it’s just a strained muscle but nothing she has tried is making it better. She decides to see a doctor for the pain and an X-Ray is negative. She’s told that it’s just a muscle strain but after two weeks of rest, she resumes running and the pain is still there. Sarah returns to the doctor and this time, an MRI is ordered. Results of the MRI show a tibial stress fracture that requires not only rest but an air cast for several weeks to aid in healing.
Hopefully you will never have a diagnosis of a stress fracture and there are those who have actually run through a stress fracture to healing, but there is also a great risk that it could turn into a far worse injury requiring surgery and a long rehabilitation. It’s tough to know when to run through it, rest it or seek a doctor’s opinion, so here are some tips to guide you through the process:
1. Rest a day or two, ice and massage your injury and assess if the pain lessens.
2. Evaluate what makes the pain better or worse. Is it worse before, during or after your runs? Can you point to the worse pain with one finger or is it a wide pain? Does your injured area feel colder or warmer than usual? The better you can describe the pain, the easier for a doctor to find the cause.
3. Be careful using anti-inflammatory or other pain medicine before seeing a doctor. It can mask your true pain and make it harder to diagnose what the problem is.
4. Tell your parents that you have been having pain. Running is a family affair and everyone needs to be on board.
5. Talk to your coach and athletic trainer and seek advice from a physician specializing in Sports Medicine/Orthopedics. They see sports injuries often and are used to seeing the most common running injuries.
6. Know that rest and healing are the best. When in doubt, stop running and rest. Many injuries get better just with a little time of less use.
7. If you are diagnosed with a significant injury with a recommendation for surgery, get a second and perhaps a third opinion. If you are at the right doctor, they will not be offended if you seek more than one opinion.
You will always be your best judge. No one knows your body and symptoms as well as you do. If you suspect that an injury is worsening, seeking help early is the best. You are young and it’s all about running longevity and taking into consideration a long, healthy active life.
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Dr. J’s Disclaimer: While I am a licensed medical doctor in the state of Florida, the information presented in this website is for the purpose of information only. Yes, I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor and we have not established a patient-doctor relationship (although I’m so glad you are reading the information in my posts!). Conclusions drawn from the information in this website are entirely your own, created from your own perception, knowledge, and understanding. Actions that you decide to take based on those conclusions are done by your own judgment and of your own accord. Nothing read on this site should be relied upon to replace or overrule a licensed health care professional’s judgment or clinical diagnosis
Dr. Johnson is a local physician, ultramarathoner, yoga teacher, mother of two high school runners and an all-around adventure-seeker.