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New to the Sock Doc Site? Start With These Articles!

 

  1. The Sock Doc Training Principles Parts I-V

  2. Sock Doc First Aid For Injuries Parts I-IV

  3. A Paleo-Type Diet for Superior Athletic Performance

  4. Stop Stretching!

  5. Orthotics – Are They Really Ever Necessary?

  6. Joint & Tissue Repair For Athletes

  7. Healthy People = Barefoot People

  8. Trigger Point Therapy

  9. Your Running Shoes Are Only Part of the Injury-Free Prescription

  10. Overpronation Is Really Not Your Problem

  11. Educate Yourself to Recover From and Prevent Any Injury

  12. The Least of Your Concerns: Height, Weight, and Length


Comments

  1. Ashley Reynolds-Aguilar says:
    October 3, 2012 at 11:47 am

    Good Morning Doc,

    Loaded question of sorts. I am an athletic trainer at the high school level in deep south Texas near the border of Mexico. I so believe in many of the things that you talk about, and try my hardest to get at least a little bit of good info in there for my athletes without looking a little like a hypocrite. I have many chronic problems as well, but I am more concerned about treating my athletes, I can ask about myself later. I work and live in a 99.7% Hispanic area in which medicines are rampant, shins splints are treated with ice massage and stretching, and our wonderful orthopedist and physical therapist do not believe in anything other than western medicines. (Both of these men are exceptional at what they do I might add.) This poses a really difficult question. Working with Duke and North Carolina, do their athletic trainers, orthopods, and coaches for the various teams work with you, and how would you go about implementing some of your theories in a high school training room setting in an area that is extremely saturated with obesity, Chronic High blood pressure and diabetes and cardiovascular disease? Where would you even begin to start?
    Thanks so much for any input you can give.

    Reply
    • Sock Doc says:
      October 3, 2012 at 6:43 pm

      Well as you may have read in my testimonial from Hall of Fame Duke Soccer Coach John Rennie “My athletic department hates him…” – he actually wasn’t kidding. They do (or have in the past anyway), and have given coaches a lot of trouble for bringing their athletes to me for treatment – these are athletes who have been injured for a long time, and are unable to play or often even train, and the athletic sports medicine department has been unable to resolve their condition for usually several months. It’s an ego thing, especially schools of medicine as these. Unfortunately most are not open to new ways of treatment and the athlete suffers by way of the “if we can’t fix it nobody can” mentality. So I only see these athletes when they are, and have been, chronically injured for a long time and they need to be back yesterday. It’s tough; they don’t see the prevention aspect of health care or the performance benefits either – or of course the natural ways to treat and prevent diseases such as HBP and diabetes as you mention.

      Over the years they (both) schools have been more open to my treatments, but I am off-campus and not affiliated with any university or program. So being completely independent, I have no one to take orders from, and no one to answer to, as you do. So you’re in a much different situation. The trainers at UNC often come to their athlete’s treatments in my office because they really like what I do and they want to learn some of it which I think is awesome. Part of that is based off of the success they’ve seen, the other is because they’re open-minded “outside the box” individuals. Sounds like you don’t have that there. So you can start small – working a trigger point instead of ice or stretching – and after a while the players will want to see you and only you because you’re fixing them faster than anyone else and they’re feeling great. Then one of two things will happen – the administration will love you for it and be interested or they’ll fire you. Hopefully it’s the former and not the latter!

      Reply
  2. frank says:
    October 29, 2012 at 7:29 pm

    I’ve been reading your articles. I have a case of PF and on the same foot my adjacent toe overlaps the big toe. Can you offer some advise?

    Reply
  3. SUSAN says:
    April 9, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    I was diagnosed with Hallux Rigidus, both feet, about 12 years ago. have been wearing custom-made orthotics since then. Experienced relief at first, but for the past few years I could only only walk with considerable pain in both toes, until about 2 months ago, when I noticed the pain was GONE, even was able to walk with sandals with no orthotics, and barefoot. surprised since x-rays showed no cartilage left, and bone spurs. I was glad I had postponed foot surgery a year or so ago. not sure what to attribute this t, except I have been doing some isometric exercises. the instructor insists that the body be in alignment while doing exercises, with putting weight on the outside of the foot. I am happy whatever the reason, except that recently, I have been experiencing discomfort on the inside of my feet (insteps) while walking. my local foot store thought my orthotics, plus my band-new motion stable shoe, could be causing the problem. They sold me other shoes, and while I am not in as much pain, I am still experiencing discomfort while walking. any thoughts, suggestions? I am 61, if that matters.

    Reply

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