Doc On The Run Podcast

When is the single most important time during the healing of a metatarsal fracture? Most runners assume the hardest part is waiting weeks to get back to running. In reality, the most critical period may be the very first week after the fracture occurs. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains why the first seven days after a metatarsal fracture lay the biologi...

If your stress fracture seems to be healing, should you keep repeating the exact same run? It sounds safe… But it may actually slow your progress. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains why repeating identical runs can prevent a healing stress fracture from adapting and getting stronger. Using the example of a runner returning from a tibial stress fracture w...

Are you testing your stress fracture every day just to see if it's getting better? That simple habit may actually be slowing your recovery. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains why repeatedly testing a stress fracture—especially by intentionally reproducing pain—can keep you above your healing threshold and delay your return to running. In this episode you...

If you’ve had multiple fifth metatarsal fractures and you also have osteoporosis, can you still run safely? Many runners assume the answer is automatically “no.” But that is not necessarily true. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains how runners with osteoporosis can sometimes continue running safely after stress fractures or fifth metatarsal fractures—as l...

What is the fastest way to calm down extensor tenosynovitis when you are a runner trying to keep training? In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains his personal “secret weapon” for reducing inflammation in extensor tenosynovitis and helping runners get back to training faster. Extensor tenosynovitis happens when the tendon sheaths on the top of the foot become...

If you have a stress fracture and you’re trying to figure out whether it is safe to run again, should you get an MRI or a CT scan? Many runners assume there is one perfect imaging test that can tell them exactly when they are cleared to run. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the real difference between MRI scans and...

What happens when a former professional triathlete and endurance coach suddenly develops a painful plantar plate sprain? In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler speaks with Marcus, a former professional triathlete and current triathlon coach from Brazil, during a real running injury strategy call focused on plantar plate injuries in runners and triathletes. Marcus had...

If you have popping or clicking around the outside of your ankle, do you actually need peroneal tendon surgery? Not necessarily. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the 5 reasons runners might actually consider surgery for painful popping peroneal tendons—and why many runners may not need surgery at all. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What the peroneal...

How do you know if your stress reaction just turned into a stress fracture? That’s one of the most important questions a runner can ask—because once there’s a crack in the bone, everything changes. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the 5 key signs that indicate your stress reaction may have progressed into a true stress fracture. Understanding these sig...

If you have plantar fasciitis and you’re trying to keep running, you’ve probably been told to stretch, rest, or stop running altogether. But what if the solution is much simpler? In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the one simple trick he personally used to fix his plantar fasciitis while training for Ironman races—without stopping running. This episode b...

If you have a calcaneal stress fracture and a 100-mile race on your calendar, the question is simple… Can you still run it? In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler lets you listen in on a real strategy call with an ultrarunner trying to decide whether he can complete a 100-mile race in just over two months after being diagnosed with a calcaneal stress fracture. This e...

What do you do if you’ve been training for months and suddenly get a stress fracture right before your race?   In this episode, I explain the four real options runners have when they don’t want to cancel—and how to think about risk, recovery, and still crossing the finish line.   If you want a clearer way to assess your injury, get the free Stress Fracture or Injury Self-Assessment Worksheet at: h...

If you have been out of running for weeks with a fibular stress fracture and the pain is gone, but you still feel a little pressure at the injury site, should you wait until you are 100% symptom-free before trying to jog again? That is the question in this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains why the answer is not based on time alone. Just because...

If your doctor told you that you have a plantar plate injury, did they mean stress, strain, or sprain? Those terms sound similar, but they mean very different things when you are trying to heal and still run. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the biomechanical difference between plantar plate stress, plantar plate strain, and plantar plate sprain, and w...

If you have peroneal tendon pain and one doctor says your MRI shows a tear while another says it is just post-surgical change, what are you supposed to do? That kind of conflicting advice can leave runners completely stuck. You do not want unnecessary surgery, but you also do not want to keep training on a tendon that may actually be torn. In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christo...

When is it actually safe to start loading a stress fracture again? In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains how runners can think about progressive bone loading without making the injury worse. He covers why “just rest” is incomplete advice, why pain relief does not equal full healing, the 3 phases of stress fracture recovery, and the biggest mistake runners make when they try to return to...

If you have a stress fracture and your doctor starts talking about X-ray grading systems, you may think that grading is the key to deciding whether you can run, cross-train, or still make it to your race. But for runners, X-ray grading is often not the most useful thing at all. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the two things that matter more than X-ray grading of a stress fracture:...

If you feel an unusual ache in your foot during marathon or triathlon training, you might worry that you have a stress fracture. But many runners actually develop a stress reaction before a true stress fracture occurs. The problem is that runners often ignore the early warning signs. They experiment with shorter runs, slower workouts, or simply hope the discomfort goes away. In this episode of the...

If you suspect a metatarsal stress fracture but your most important marathon is on the calendar, you need a plan—not panic. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the only two questions that determine whether you can keep training (or even race) without making the stress fracture worse, plus what you should measure and track starting today.

If you think you have a stress fracture, you’re probably wondering how long it will take to heal — and when you can run again. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the three stages of bone healing, why early protection matters, why pain can disappear before the bone is strong, and how to safely apply stress at the right time so you don’t restart the healing clock. If you want to heal f...

If you’re a runner dealing with a stress fracture, you’ve probably been told to “just stop running” and come back in six to eight weeks. But that advice completely ignores the way runners think. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Segler is going to walk you through the crucial questions every runner with a stress fracture should be asking—but that most doctors never do. We’re talking about what migh...

When does a metatarsal stress reaction actually show up on imaging? In this episode of the Doc On The Run Podcast, Dr. Christopher Segler explains the difference between a stress response, stress reaction, and true stress fracture—and why timing matters when choosing X-rays, MRI, ultrasound, or CT scans. Learn how early imaging can help you make smarter race decisions, avoid false reassurance from...

Can you still run a race if you have a stress fracture—or will it permanently set you back? In this episode of Doc On The Run, Dr. Christopher Segler answers the most urgent question injured runners ask when a big event is approaching: can I still run my race with a stress fracture? You’ll learn how to assess risk, distinguish pain from damage, and make a clear decision without sabotaging your lon...

How much walking is too much when you have a tibial stress fracture? In this episode of Doc On The Run, Dr. Christopher Segler breaks down how runners can safely stay active while healing, explains the key differences between Fredrickson Grade 1 and Grade 2 tibial stress fractures, and outlines the two critical factors that determine how fast you can recover—without making the injury worse.

Today I was on a strategy call with an injured, but recovering runner who is trying to figure out how to organize his workouts to get strong quickly, without re-injuring his stress fracture.   He was headed in the right direction, but was making a critical mistake when trying to do more with split workouts. It’s not about splitting workouts.    It's all about the stressors that are applied to the...