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Home > Dr. Stephen Gangemi "Sock Doc"

Sock Doc Podcast #5 At Trail Runner Nation: Is Running Bad For Your Health?

A new podcast is up at Trail Runner Nation. In this 5th Sock Doc Podcast, I discuss the news reports, research, and evidence behind the notion that exercise, specifically running, can be bad for your health. The article, “Enough of the Aerobic and Endurance Bashing Fostered by ‘New Research’ and …

Stretching is Dangerous – Move Naturally to Achieve Health & Fitness

I must say, and I know this comes to a shock to you Sock Doc veterans out there, stretching is dangerous. Yes I’m talking about the typical static stretching that so many perform before or after exercise. Actually many consider static stretching an exercise of itself. There’s no need to …

First Aid For Injuries Part IV – NSAIDS: Friend or Foe?

If you’re injured do you take an anti-inflammatory medication commonly known as NSAIDs? After all, as you learned in Part III of the Sock Doc First Aid for Injuries, some inflammation is necessary and normal when you’re injured. Inflammation is all about balance – if it’s out of control then you …

First Aid For Injuries Part III – Inflammation: Embrace It and Control It

So you’re (still) injured but now you hopefully understand why you’re injured. As discussed in Part I of the Sock Doc First Aid For Injuries, if you didn’t have some sort of traumatic accident then your injury was slowly developing over time due to muscle imbalances which resulted from too …

First Aid For Injuries Part II – Ice, Heat, or RICE?

Okay, you’re injured. Now what? Do you apply ice, heat, or “RICE” for injury treatment? In Part I of the Sock Doc First Aid For Injuries you learned WHY injuries occur. Injuries don’t just come of of nowhere; they’re there for a reason and typically they are from too much …

Make Up Your Mind: Will Running Make You Stronger or Kill You?

Studies, research, and expert opinions – sometimes they support our current training methods and lifestyle choices, and other times they may appear to completely debunk our methods and philosophies. This may lead to uncertainties and fear that we may be on the wrong path of health and fitness. You may …

Barefoot Chat Podcast With Barefoot Canada

In this informative podcast/slide show with Barefoot Moe of Barefoot Canada, we discuss the many benefits of living barefoot – running, walking, driving, and just hanging out. We also discuss the barefoot “movement/fad”, minimalist footwear, “Earthing”, and a whole lot more. I had a great time talking to Moe as …

Sock Doc: Foot Pain & Foot Injuries – Natural Treatment & Prevention

  Video Transcript Hey this is Dr. Gangemi and today’s Sock Doc video is going to be about the foot. I’m going to basically describe and talk about some few easy treatment options that you can use for some common foot aliments that I haven’t discussed in other videos. And …

It’s Not “Natural”, and Definitely Not Normal, to Die From Cardiac Arrest: The Death of Caballo Blanco

It’s interesting to read a report, in this case an autopsy report, which reads that the individual died of heart disease that was “natural” when that person was only 58 years old and supposedly in excellent health. I’m referring to the sudden and to some extent, unexplained death of Micah …

Sock Doc: Knee Pain & Injuries – Natural Treatment & Prevention

  Video Transcript Dr. Gangemi: Hey this is Dr. Gangemi and welcome to the newest Sock Doc video. Today I’m going to be talking about the knee and common complaints and injuries, performance problems that people have with the knee. Who better to help out today than G. A. Long …

Trigger Point Therapy – A Powerful Tool to Treat & Prevent Injuries

I use trigger point therapy a lot while treating patients in my office – it’s one of the many tools used to get a person well. Trigger point therapy is very effective for a variety of problems, often structural but even sometimes visceral (organ related). Since I discuss trigger points …

Lose Your Shoes

I recently wrote an article called “Healthy People = Barefoot People” which discusses why barefoot people tend to be healthier than often-shod people and how/why being barefoot can improve your health. It’s a good read – but hey, I wrote it, so of course I’m going to say that. Part …

MovNat For Kids! Get Your Kids Active & Healthy – Outside!

The typical kid today isn’t outside much, and most aren’t moving as they should be even while they are indoors. They’ve developed awkward, uncoordinated movements as a result of being immobile, wearing modern footwear, and eating a highly processed and nutrient devoid diet. It’s said that one in six kids …

Healthy People = Barefoot People

Humans should be able to function barefoot from birth until death, (barring some birth defect, infection, or trauma of course), though sadly many people are unable to run, walk, or even stand for even a few minutes barefoot without discomfort, pain, or general uneasiness. Many people have essentially lost their …

Sock Doc Podcast #1 At Trail Runner Nation

Listen to my first ever podcast I recently did over at Trail Runner Nation. I discuss orthotics, stretching, footwear, and other running related topics with Don, Scott, and Faith. It was a lot of fun and those guys have a great site so check them out. (And yeah, I can’t …

Sock Doc: Trigger Point Video – Natural Treatment & Prevention

This video goes along with the article: “Trigger Point Therapy – A Powerful Tool to Treat & Prevent Injuries” Video Transcript Hey this is Dr. Gangemi and in this quick little Sock Doc video I wanted to just address a couple little points and show you how I work a …

Do Not Wear Orthotics! 10 Reasons Not to Wear Orthotics

Zero Drop and Sock Doc have put together a top ten list of why you should avoid orthotics if you really care about your feet – actually if you care about your entire body. Caveat: some extreme foot deformities or injuries may require the assistance of orthotics. But c’mon, for …

Valentine’s Day – Another Reason For Athletes to Eat Chocolate

Mmmmmm, chocolate. It can be beneficial both mentally and physically as it’s loaded with healthy antioxidants, minerals, and even stimulants. Chocolate was once considered the nectar of the gods. Actually, those who were once sacrificed to the gods were given chocolate mixed in blood before their hearts were ripped out …

VIVOBAREFOOT Evo Review – Pretty Much the Best

One of the perks of having a site like this is that companies want to send me free stuff to try out and review every now and then. I’ve turned down several products because I don’t think they’re any good – not just for me – but for any of …

Do Not Stretch! 10 Reasons Not to Stretch

Here’s some fun reasons not to stretch; some more serious than others. If you’re overly sensitive about stretching, (noted in #2), you can catch-up on the Sock Doc “Stop Stretching!” – or continue to stretch.

Injinji Performance Toesocks Review

Thanks to the gang at Injinji Toesocks for sending me a complimentary pair of their Performance Toesocks. Actually they sent me two pair because the first one went missing in my household of five, but was later retrieved after they sent me another pair. But that turned out great because …

Injury-Free Running Booklet

I am pleased to have contributed to the Natural Running Center’s booklet Injury-Free Running: Become a More Efficient and Faster Runner. This short but very sweet 72-page booklet discusses the basics of natural running and how it can help anybody and everybody not just run more efficiently, but develop their …

Preventing and Healing Stress Fractures & Stress Reactions

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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: 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: 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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …