When should I stop training?

This is one of my favorite injury topics and one of the most commonly asked questions by members of our local Long Beach running clubs. Everybody wants to know how they can tell if their pain is a serious injury or just part of the aches and pains that every devoted athlete might develop.

A good rule to follow is the rule of ILL. Your injury could be serious (and making you ill!) if the pain is:

I - Increasing; pain that's getting worse as you continue to exercise

L - Lingering; pain that doesn't go away after you exercise or is still there when you get up the next morning

L - Limping; pain that's making you limp or otherwise change your gait. If your current injury isn't serious you just might injure something else!

If your exercise pain is making you ILL you should consider taking a training break and seeing your sports podiatrist.

Happy running!

www.drrichardgraves.com
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Black toenails

Why do long distance runners sometimes develop black toenails?

When toenails turn black it usually means that there has been bleeding under the nail. This can happen either from an acute injury (you accidentally kick a hard object or drop something on your toe) or from repetitive small injuries (your toe hitting your shoe over and over again while you're walking or running.

When black toenails develop from running people instinctively think it's because the shoes are too small, but this is usually not the case. In most instances the toe is actually curling downward and hitting the BOTTOM of the shoe. The curling down of the toes is more likely to happen if you're running farther than your used to running or wearing shoes without enough support. Not trimming the toenails short enough prior to running is also a contributing factor.

In severe cases of black toenails the blood may have to be drained from under the nail or the nail may have to be removed. More often the blood dries under the nail and clears up slowly as the nail grows out.

If you develop a black toenail that is painful you should consider seeing a podiatrist because of the risk of infection if it's not treated. Even if it's not painful the podiatrist may be able to help you prevent this from happening in the future and also help to make sure the nail grows back normally.

Happy running!

www.drrichardgraves.com
www.facebook.com/solfootandanklecenters - Do your feet have Sol?

Running Injuries

This blog will be dedicated to injuries experienced by runners and other athletes. I'll talk about everything from black toenails to shin splints to stress fractures. I'll be happy to address any injuries about which my followers inquire and also discuss injuries my patients and fellow runners are dealing with.

This first post will be about my own running injury. I have pain on the outside of my ankle for the past 10 days since I ran the Long Beach Marathon. I felt a spasm in that area at about the 24 mile mark and now still have pain with walking. I'm talking 2 weeks off of running and hoping the pain will resolve, but if not I will get x-rays and may need an MRI. I could have a stress fracture of the fibula, but more than likely it is an injury to the peroneal tendons. I hope it's not a rupture! I'll keep you posted.

www.drrichardgraves.com

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