A stress fracture occurs when there is an overload of stress in a bone because of poor biomechanics and sometimes accompanying nutritional imbalances. Poor biomechanics occur due to muscle imbalances that are a result of mechanical and nutritional problems. Improper footwear is a very common mechanical factor resulting in muscle …
Archives for 2011
Stay Healthy and Fit This Vitamin D Winter
YOUR VITAMIN D WINTER When the sun’s rays enter the earth’s atmosphere at too great of an angle, the atmosphere blocks the UVB portion of the rays. This occurs regularly during the early and latter parts of the day, but also continuously throughout the winter season, increasing as one moves …
Luna Catamount Review
Recently I was sent a pair of Luna Catamount sandals, (gratis), from Luna to try out and review. In a nutshell – I love them. They are definitely my favorite pair of huarache sandals, and actually of any sandal I own.
Endurance Orientated MovNat Training
Hunter-gatherers were constantly active, alternating hard physical days with less demanding days as often as they could. Their routines were balanced, promoting strength, agility, and aerobic and anaerobic endurance, thereby ensuring that their health remained intact. For the most part, their activity kept them strong and injury-free. It’s most likely …
Are Orthotics Really Ever Necessary?
The prescription and use of orthotics is a hot topic. Some physicians don’t appreciate that fact that I think orthotics are expensive pieces of carbon graphite, neoprene, and other material that most often serve as a disservice to the patient. My stance on orthotics is such due to how I …
Sock Doc: Natural Treatment & Prevention of Piriformis Syndrome, Low Back Pain, & Sciatica
Video Transcript Hey, this is Doctor Gangemi, The Sock Doc. In today’s Sock Doc video is on Piriformis syndrome, lower back issues, and sciatic type pain, or what many people perceive as sciatic type pain. Lara O’Brien who is a principal dancer with Carolina Ballet is going to be …
Branca Barefoot Shoe Review
Branca Barefoot recently sent me a complimentary pair of their Leather Branca sandals to test out and review for the SockDoc site. Over the last several weeks I have actually ditched my footwear almost entirely, staying barefoot almost the entire day, with the exception of a couple runs a week …
Tendonitis or Bursitis? Natural Treatment & Prevention Regardless of Which “Itis” You Have
“Itis” means inflammation usually as a result of trauma (such as a tendon strain) or infection. However inflammation can also occur from nutritional problems as well as local muscle and joint dysfunctions, and I’d say that this is much more common than actual trauma and infection. Think about how often …
Sock Doc’s MovNat Guest Post
I recently spent a week living beside Erwan Le Corre, Vic Verdier, Clifton Harski and eleven other MovNat attendees, training quite differently than I have for, well, anything. For the past 20 years I’ve been immersed in the triathlon and endurance arena, having competed in 20 Ironman races, including 6 …
Varicose Veins – Like a Pack of Worms Under the Skin
That’s the calf of the great American cyclist George Hincapie, currently riding in this year’s Tour de France. It’s an unsightly case of varicose veins, which are very common not just with cyclists, but other athletes too, including ordinary, everyday people. Although common, they are definitely not normal, and there …
No Need For Knee Pain – Running, Cycling, or Anytime
Knee pain is a common complaint for many runners, cyclists, and triathletes leading them to succumb to pain medication, anti-inflammatories, knee braces and other contraptions just so they can continue pushing through the miles. From elite athletes to fitness walkers, an individual may be told they have bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis, …
Your Running Shoes Are Only Part of the Injury-Free Prescription
Since Sock Doc began almost three months ago, one of the most common questions I have been asked is, “Sock Doc, I’m running in minimalist shoes (or barefoot), but I’m still injured – why?” This question tells me one thing – runners think that if you get out of your …
Athletes, Sun Exposure, and Vitamin D
Being outside has both advantages and risks whether you’re training hard or chilling out by the pool. The sun is one factor that can be beneficial to the athlete as well as detrimental. As summer approaches we are bombarded with information that the sun kills thousands of people each year …
High Fructose Corn Syrup – Steer Clear For Your Health & Performance
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is often cited as an obesity and diabetes-causing food product, giving any athlete concerned about his or her heath and performance a reason to think twice before consuming the sweetness. But then there is research that fructose actually helps performance and regular exercise and consequent …
16-Year Old Triathlete Armstrong Racing Strong & Fueled By… McDonalds?
At age 16, Lance was swimming 10,600 meters, cycling 320 miles and running 30 miles in the given sample week training schedule. He was kicking most of the seasoned pros assess back then too.
Overpronation Is Really Not Your Problem
Are you a pronator? How bout’ an overpronator? Hopefully you’re the former and not the latter, though these terms are often used interchangeably to diagnose why someone has a foot problem or injury. However, overpronation of the foot is not the ultimate cause of any problem or injury, but a …
Shin Splints Treatment, Prevention, and Video – Save the Frozen Veges for Dinner
Just about anyone who has ever played high school sports has rubbed a Dixie cup of ice up and down their shins to deal with the painful shin splints. While this is still being prescribed today by many coaches, athletic trainers, and physical therapists, I think that the Dixie cup …
Stop Stretching!
Stretching is perhaps one of the most controversial fitness subjects of present day. Passionate debates arise between those who perceive the benefits of stretching and those, like me, who think stretching is one of the worst activities you can partake in, especially if you’re already injured. It’s a tradition that’s …
This Is Zero-Drop: A Shoeless (and Sockless) Sock Doc
Sock Doc readers know that I only wear socks on my feet while in the office treating patients, hence the name. I have yet to ditch the socks in the office setting as I don’t feel they’ll look great with dress pants and a white lab coat. I advise every …
Athletes and Allergies – They’re a Nuisance, But Not Entirely Normal
Here in North Carolina the pine pollen is out with a vengeance. My Cervelo P3 has changed from black to a slight yellowish tint, and most likely my lungs look the same after a long ride. Sneezing, bloodshot eyes, itchy skin, and asthma symptoms are the most common complaints athletes …
Sock Doc Video: Wrist and Hand Pain – Natural Treatment & Prevention
Video Transcript Dr. Gangemi: Hey, this is Dr. Gangemi. On this Sock Doc video, I want to talk about some wrist and hand issues some people might be dealing with. Especially in today’s computer age, people are sitting at the desk most of the day, and a lot of …
Sock Doc: Treatment & Prevention of Achilles Tendonitis
Hey. This is Sock Doc and today I’m going to talk about a common running injury called Achilles tendinitis. This is an injury that many people suffer from if they’re training hard, if they’re racing a lot. It’s a pain in the lower part of your leg, right where your …
Sock Doc Training Regimen
I often get asked, “How does the Sock Doc train?” – what heart rate, what duration, what intensity, etc… There’s so many different coaching ideas, perspectives, theories out there, sometimes it’s hard to sort through it all. Well, here’s the general run-down:
Is Your Recovery Drink or Nutrition Bar Toxic?
Could your energy bar, fluid replacement drink, or post-workout recovery meal ultimately be hindering your performance? It’s very likely due to the many artificial processed ingredients out there. Many foods athletes consume contain the infamous MSG. We all know that person who can’t eat Chinese food because they’ll get a …
Easy on the Carbs – Get Lean, Get Fast
Carbohydrate intolerance/insulin resistance are terms often used interchangeably because they usually go hand-in-hand. These conditions can significantly affect the health and fitness of any runner, cyclist, or triathlete. Excess carb intake, or not metabolizing carbs very well, will result in weight gain, (or the inability to lose weight), aerobic metabolism …
Sock Doc Paleo-Plyometric Workout
Strength training, whether performing traditional weight lifting exercises like a dead lift, plyometric exercises like box jumps, or simply body-weight exercises such as pull-ups and abdominal crunches, all have their place in most exercise regimes. Ultimately, the decision to do any strength training, or not, should be based off of …
Sock Doc: Treatment & Prevention of Shin Splints
Video Transcript Hey, this is Sock Doc. Today I’m going to talk about a common running injury called shin splints. So shin splints are the pain that you had maybe once in your life, maybe in high school, maybe you’ve got it now where you’ve got pain in the …
Aerobic or Anaerobic? – The Right Way At The Right Time
Most athletes exercise anaerobically the majority of the time, rather than aerobically. Aerobic exercise (not aerobics, such as “aerobics” class), is when you are exercising within a specific heart rate zone, (a certain intensity), which will be discussed. Please see the Sock Doc Training Principles for a thorough understanding of …
The Aerobic Lifestyle – Your Ticket to Superior Health & Fitness
Do you live aerobically? It’s not just about the training. It’s about your entire day – your entire life. You can keep your heart rate within the aerobic zone, but if you’re an athlete under a high amount of stress, eating poorly, and not recovering, you’re going to be anaerobic, …
Sock Doc Video: Treatment & Prevention of ITB Syndrome
Video Transcript Hey, this is the Soc Doc, and today I’m going to talk about a common injury. It’s called iliotibial band frictional syndrome, also known as ITB syndrome. It’s pain on the outside of the leg, most often in a runner’s knee. It’s like an ice pick sticking in …
Out of the Gait: A Sock Doc Review of Running Gait
The interest in minimalist and barefoot running shoes has shifted runners’ attention from banging out long training runs or speed work to something more fundamental: how to naturally improve one’s form. This is not as easy as it sounds, since it involves more than knowing where your foot lands. To …
Dietary Danger: Partially Hydrogenated “Trans” Fats
One food item that every athlete should avoid is trans fats. They are not beneficial in any form and they are not necessary for any reason biochemically. Avoidance of these fats is the one thing that anybody can do and it has the most widespread benefits. You’ll recover faster from …
Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles Tendonitis is a pain in the Achilles tendon often where it attaches to the heel bone. Another name this injury goes by is Achilles tendinopathy as there is question to whether there is actually inflammation (the ‘itis’) in the injury. Retrocalcaneal bursitis is sometimes diagnosed too, signifying that the …
Lick the Salt to Kick the Competition
Come every racing season there is a good amount of news about decreased sodium concentration in the body, also known as hyponatremia, and most all talk about how to eat and drink before, during, and after training (exercise). As simple as it sometimes sounds, most people get confused by the …
Orthotics – Supportive Beds For Your Feet to Grow Weak In
Proper footwear is essential when exercising and even just walking as you do your daily activities. Today many shoes are made to look cool and flashy, but they are unfortunately making foot function worse. There are numerous shoes with anti-pronation devices, arch supports, ankle supports, and motion control devices & …
Sleep – The Other Half of That Training Equation
If you sleep well you most likely take it for granted, as many athletes out there would do anything to fall asleep in a short matter of time and stay asleep until morning. Not only do many runners, cyclists, and triathletes not sleep well, but they think their common sleep …
Diet vs. Gait: What You Eat Affects How You Run
In this second part series on gait, I examine the importance of nutrition. Good form requires the right kind of fuel. You’d be surprised at how rapidly one’s gait begins to fall apart when the gas tank is low. Often a runner has a fluid motion in the gait when he …
Slow Olympic Swimmer
Chi Wo Daniel Lee of Hong Kong has a slower reaction time than the rest of his competitors at the start of the men’s Triathlon Olympics final. Lee, ranked 92 in the world, is seen in red swim wear on pontoon #12 ready to take his dive, while the …
Breathe Better: Understanding Exercise-Induced Asthma
Asthma, including exercise-induced asthma (EIA), is the diagnosis given to more and more people everyday, from kids to overfat individuals and yes, even to the very fit athlete. This condition is defined as a spasm or constriction of the bronchials causing diminished airflow resulting in wheezing, tightness of the chest, …
Nutrition & Energy Bars – Know What You’re Eating
Nutrition (energy) bars have come a long way from the days when their manufacturers only catered to weight lifters. Today’s energy bars come in wide variety of ingredients, sizes, textures, and prices. Not all energy bars are the same and like all food, you should choose wisely when deciding which bar …
Your Best Training Partner – The Heart Rate Monitor
From the weekend exerciser to the professional athlete, heart rate monitors are the most ideal way to make your workouts much more effective, thereby increasing your fitness level while creating a healthier lifestyle. In my opinion, everybody should be wearing a HR monitor every time they exercise. A heart rate …
Plantar Fasciitis: How Runners Can Learn How To Step Out of the Pain
Plantar fasciitis is a type of foot pain that occurs in the heel and sometimes in or around the arch of the foot as your plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue on the bottom of your foot. Symptoms are usually worse in the morning, and tend to ease off …
Iliotibial Band Frictional Syndrome – Is Your ITB Killin’ You?
If you’ve had Iliotibial band (ITB) Frictional syndrome, then you know how much it hurts, and how it feels like it’s never going to go away. I’ve had it more than once many, many years ago before I knew how to train and eat properly. It’s one of those pains …
Kuru Footwear Gonna Help Your Plantar Fasciitis?
Kuru Footwear is the latest example of superficially treating the symptoms of a foot injury without addressing the underlying cause. In this case, Kuru has planted its feet-first flag on plantar fasciitis, the scourge of runners. If you’ve had plantar fasciitis, you know what an icepick-jabbing-in the-bottom-of-the-foot nightmarish pain it …
Sock Doc: Treatment & Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis
Video Transcript Hey, this is Sock Doc. And today I’m going to talk about plantar fasciitis, a common problem that many people have, pain in their foot, pain in the heel. Typically, it’s worse as you get up in the morning and step down out of bed. People get …
MovNat Workout: Exercise Skills & Endurance Combo
Sorting Out the Confusion of Nutritional Supplements
Not all supplements are created equal. Going out and buying a multi-vitamin/mineral combination that gives you 100% or more the RDA of everything is not necessarily a good idea. Don’t think that if you don’t need it, your body won’t use it, or you’ll just “pee it out”. Supplements, when …
Get It Right to Race Faster – Nutrition Before, During, and After the Race
What you eat before, during (if the race is long enough), and after a race as well as during exercise will have a profound effect on your performance as well as recovery. Eating the right types of food before your race can help as much as eating the wrong type …
Warning Signs & Symptoms of Overtraining
LISTEN TO THE WARNING SIGNS OF OVERTRAINING! Understand the early warning signs of overtraining/overreaching (too much anaerobic exercise, too much total stress, or both), and slow down before you are forced down from injury and/or illness.
Ban Body Marking in Triathlon!
This year marks my 20th season in the triathlon world. Out of perhaps 125-150 races ranging from sprint to Ironman, this past weekend I did something I never did before – I raced without getting body marked, and it was intentional. Call me crazy. I don’t think anybody noticed. I …
Running the Spartathlon Ultramarathon in a Pair of Sandals
There are a lot of interesting stories from many great athletes out there, yet some of the best ones come from normal everyday people doing extraordinary things. There’s this crazy foot race in Greece called the Spartathlon held every September. Its 246 kilometers which works out to 153 miles for …
Athletic Injuries: Why Do Injuries Occur On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, my name’s Dr. Steve Gangemi. I’m going to talk about health and injury prevention, and why injuries occur. Obviously, many athletes get injured from traumatic accidents. You could be climbing a wall, falling, sprain an ankle. You could be out on a run and land in a …
Ankle Injuries On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. And in this video, I want to discuss some ankle and foot injury issues. We are going to talk about assessment and treatment of the foot and ankle starting here in part one with the ankle, and then in part two …
Foot Injuries On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. And in this second part of the foot and ankle injuries, I want to discuss now the foot, one of the most common areas of complaints for people. Even if you just have sore feet at the end of the day, …
Shoulder Pain & Injuries (1/2) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. And in this video series, I want to talk about some common injuries that athletes experience through movement-based sports. So the first one we’re going to discuss is the shoulder girdle. The shoulder itself is a very complex joint, actually three …
Shoulder Pain & Injuries (2/2) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. And in this second part of the shoulder girdle injury, treatment, and prevention video I want to talk about the more powerful, stronger muscles of the shoulder girdle that many people injure, or they’re weakened, so they end up with a …
Think Twice Before You Ice On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this video, I’m going to talk a little bit more about injuries and what to do when you get injured. One of the first things people think about when they get injured is, “Well, what do I do next?” And …
Stress Signs: How to Know if You’re Stressed On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi and I’m going to talk about the role of health and well-being in your training. In this video, specifically I want to talk about how you can use certain clues in your daily life to realize if you’re training too hard, …
Stretching Dangers: Never Stretch An Injury On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi, and in this video I’m going to talk about what you do if you get injured. So remember when you injure an area, compression is going to be your best treatment option when it comes to healing up that injury as …
Injury Compression To Heal On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr.Steve Gangemi and in this video i am going to talk about what you do if you get injured. So this is an injury if you had a traumatic accident, if you sprained an ankle, or if you had a chronic injury that keeps …
Food That Heal On FLOW: Healthy Fats
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi, and in this final section of Food Groups That Heal, I want to talk about fats. I’m not going to discuss fats too much in depth, because that’s an important section we talk about in inflammation when it comes to injuries …
Food That Heal On FLOW: Protein Performance
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi, and in this third episode of Food Groups That Heal, I want to talk about protein. Because protein is one of these food groups that we need through the day to get us to repair, and regenerate, and heal and perform, …
Food That Heal On FLOW: Carbohydrates Athletic Performance
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this second part of food groups that heal, I want to discuss carbohydrates. So carbohydrates are pretty much the majority of people’s diets. There’s good carbs, and there’s bad carbs. So we have our good carbohydrates, these are ones that …
Food That Heal On FLOW: Water Health Benefits
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi, and in this series I want to talk about food groups that heal and I want to talk about water, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Water is obviously something that our body needs to survive throughout the day. Our body is about …
Foods That Hinder Healing: Hydrogenated fats (1/3) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this video I want to talk about foods that can hinder not only your health but also your performance. And not only your performance, but also how well you can recover from an injury if you’re unlucky enough to get …
Foods That Hinder Healing: Artificial Sweeteners (2/3) On FLOW
Video Transcript [music] Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this video I want to talk about foods that can hinder, not only your health, but also your performance. So another type of food that you want to eliminate 100%, which you should be able to 100%, are all …
Foods That Hinder Healing: Caffeine (3/3) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi. This is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In the last part of Foods That Hinder, I want to discuss something that’s actually not really a food, but is contained in a lot of foods. And that’s caffeine. So caffeine is found naturally in many foods like cacao, which …
Knee Pain & Injuries (1/2) – Anterior & Lateral On FLOW
Video Transcript Hey, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this video I want to talk about a common injury or common injuries to the knee that moving athletes experience. The knee is a very commonly injured joint. So let’s talk about some things that happened there. Aside from traumatic type …
Knee Injuries & Pain (2/2) – Posterior & Medial On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi. In this second part of the knee video, I’m going to talk about the most commonly injured area of the knee, the inside, the medial aspect of the knee, where people feel like they have, or maybe have, injured their medial meniscus …
Anti-inflammatory Diet (1/2) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi and in this video, I wanted to discuss inflammation and how it pertains to injuries, whether you’re trying to prevent an injury, hopefully you are, or especially if you have an injury that you’re dealing with. Inflammation is one of these …
Anti-Inflammatories: NSAIDs Dangers (2/2) On FLOW
Video Transcript Hi, this is Dr. Steve Gangemi and now here in part two of Inflammation and Injuries. I want to discuss NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and why they actually may be more harmful than beneficial for you if you become injured. Now I want to discuss why NSAIDs, …