Sock-Doc

Natural Injury Treatment & Prevention for the Athlete Within

Dr. Gangemi headshotConsult with
Sock Doc

Address your health & fitness concerns

officeskype

Sock Doc Workshops

Develop. Improve. Excel.

learn more

Sock Doc’s Other Site

drgangemi.com
explore the site

Sock Doc Newsletter

Home > The Sock Doc First Aid For Injuries: Heal Your Injury Faster Than Ever & Learn Natural Injury Prevention

The Sock Doc First Aid For Injuries: Heal Your Injury Faster Than Ever & Learn Natural Injury Prevention

Natural Treatment for Sports Injuries

This is Sock Doc’s Four Part Series on the basics of natural injury treatment and natural injury prevention. Whether you’re suffering from an acute or chronic injury or you’re interested in preventing an injury (who isn’t), this is a must-read. You’re going to learn why people get injured and what you should do, or could have done, to heal quickly and prevent future problems. I hope you enjoy it and let’s keep the ice for our cold drinks and not our bodies.

First Aid For Injuries Part I – Sports Injury Causes: Understanding WHY You’re Injured

  • Understand why you’re injured – it’s not because you didn’t stretch enough or you forgot your orthotics
  • Learn the risk factors that make up an injury. You’re probably not injured just because of bad luck

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

  • Contrary to what we’re all told, ice isn’t a smart move for injury treatment
  • Learn part of the benefits of ‘RICE’ – active recovery and compression

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

  • Inflammation isn’t necessarily a bad thing – without it you won’t heal and repair injured tissues
  • Learn how your diet and lifestyle can create massive amounts of inflammation – aggravating or creating an injury

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

  • Learn why anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work and why you should think twice before taking them
  • Learn many natural ways to fight inflammation so your injury heals faster than anyone could have ever expected

Natural Treatment for Sports Injuries

 

Comments

  1. Reply

    Good morning, Sock Doc

    What is your opinion on osteopathic treatment for plantar fasciitis? I have read about the supine direct myofascial release technique, but have not found any information on its effectiveness.

    Thank you for providing such an informative and helpful website!
    Anke

  2. Reply

    Hello Soc Doc I fell on the ice in my back yard and really came down hard on my left foot and left knee. The big toe was purple for a couple of days and the front of my big toe further down towards the foot part was so so sore to the touch , I couldn’t bend it for a couple of days and walked with a limp and a very painful expression on my face . That was 3 weeks ago I can now bend it and walk a little better and the brusing is gone but the toe has a sort of lump on it on the side by the foot and still tingles and hurts sometimes with a shooting pain . I know it wasn’t broken but could you explain what injury occured and what damage might have been done . I didn’t go to my dr because my insurance ended in jan .

  3. Reply

    I have both plantar fascitis and shin splints. I work on my feet all day and have for years. Nothing seems to help for longer than a few days.
    I have had low arches all my life. As a child I was diagnosed with flat feet.
    Any idea how I can ease this constant pain?

  4. Reply

    I have an old injury from a broken foot with pin in ankle, 25yrs ago. Soft tissue damaged so foot leans over & causes pain. Other foot very sensitive so next to impossible to find shoes or be without pain. I do have 5 finger shoes I use for periodic foot exercises. Also had orthotics that I threw out as they caused even more pain. Where do I start to have better feet?

  5. Reply

    Hello Doc,
    I have had a left calf problem for around 5 months now. On recommencing an intensive training program of running on the beach and hill runs plus high impact aerobic classes after a few months out (obviously took it too hard too soon), I have had a very sore left calf which I just cannot shake. I have been to see physios, doctors and have had an ultrasound and MRI, all of which have told me nothing that has helped. Stretching, ice, massage, anti-inflammatories have been the prescriptions. The last doc told me to static stretch for at least 15 times a day, which I did once, and hurt myself even more. I have reached the point where I don’t know what to do. Do you think I should try the foam roller? And what is your view on calf raises to strength the calf? After reading your site I’ve decided that stretching isn’t helping. I hope to hear back from you with some thoughts.
    Very frustrated 29-year old

  6. Reply

    Hi Doc, I’ve been having a problem with my knee where I’m unable to completely bend it, (squats and lunges are painful) and when I do it’s sore and feels a bit swollen inside. It doesn’t hurt to walk, run or go up and down stairs. Should I stop running and rest it for awhile and do I need to see a Dr.?
    Thank you.

  7. Reply

    Doc,

    I am a collegiate basketball player who randomly came across your website while doing some research online about my condition. I am a firm believer in a natural approach towards health and really like your articles. I wanted to see if you had any advice for me.

    My goal is to play professionally and my coaches think that I have a bright future. My biggest hurdle to make this a reality is my injury problem. Over the past 10 years, I have had numerous serious injuries that I have battled back from. When I was in my early teenager years, I suffered two knee injuries (patellar dislocations with chipped cartilage) requiring surgery and last year had another injury that required a scope. On top of this, I have had numerous serious ankle sprains and many other issues as well. Recently, my left knee once again gave out while playing and I am hoping that it is not a serious issue.

    Do you have any advice for me? I eat very well and treat me body well. Am I simply injury prone or could there be an issue that I have not addressed? I look forward to any thoughts that you have.

    Thank you

    • Reply

      The body will remember 80% of your injuries if they’re not properly addressed. This is why someone who has one or two injuries gets more and more as their body compensates for the imbalances. So your knee injuries are most likely affecting your ankles and back to your knees again. So my advice is to find a good body doc who can help you get out of the injury pattern.

      • Reply

        I appreciate your response. What are the areas that I should have someone evaluate? I work extensively with a wonderful trainer to make sure all of my leg muscles are firing properly and yet I still seem to land awkwardly or have some other injury occur. Thanks.

  8. Reply

    Hello,

    I’m so thankful that I found your website! Finally I think i found a good way to cure my Planta Faciitis.
    I’m a Swede in my mid thirties who has been in to minimalist running for about 2-3 years. I performed my transtion into minimalist shoes gradually and have had very little issues (appart for some blisters) until this summer when I increased the speed in my training sessions. Suddenly I felt a pain in my heel.

    Since then I have been trying almost everything to try and get rid of the PF. Training, (toe lifts/toe crunches), streching (both calf muscles and the facia it self), icing, massaging, I’ve tested both kineso taping and other support taping. I even went so far that I bought a pair of supporting insoles in the thought that this would relieve the stress in the facia. It has releaved some of the pain but I’m not sure that it has actually helped me get rid of the PF. I may have over worked the training and streching because I felt that the PF actually has gotten worse.

    I never really understood the theory behing streching the facia and supporting the arch. I’m convinced that the feet need to be strong by themselfes. That is why I got into minimalist running in the first place. Therefore it is so comforting to finding you website with tips and tricks that actually make sense. I saw your video on PF yesterday and directlty found a sore spot on the inner side of my calf muscle which I think is the main reason for not getting rid of the heel pain. Been massaging the area ever since.

    Some questions; Can I massage it too much? How many times a day do you recommend? For how long should I keep this going? do you reccomend toe lifts as training the feet? My fear is that these actually puts too much stress in the facia?

    I will really give your tips a genuine try. I really miss going for a run (Have mainly been biking since the injury occured. The only thing that irretates me now is that I didn’t find this page sooner and that I have probably been making matters worse with all the stretching and arch support. Hopefully you won’t hear from me again. Then I am just another patient you have cured. 🙂

    Best regards,

    //Emil Svedung, Sweden

  9. Reply

    Hi,

    I’m a little disapointed by the unpersonal reply but I understand that you are busy. However, I have checked your website for quite a while and haven’t been able to find the answer to my questions above.

    Best regards,
    /Emil

  10. Reply

    Hi Doc, I have been a huge fan of your medical and fitness advice for several years now.

    I have a question regarding my own health and a recent injury: Two years ago I was experiencing acute pain in my right buttock, through my hip and all the way down to my right lower calf and foot. An MRI revealed a lower ruptured disk. I walk and run for about an hour almost every day and do two or three sessions of light weight and abdominal workouts per week along with 1-2 yoga classes per week. My pain has worsened and I am wondering if I should consider surgery for this problem. I had numerous acupuncture treatments that provided some temporary relief and one steroid injection (that was expensive with no relief at all). What could you suggest at this point?

    Kindest regards,

    Molly

    • Reply

      I suggest you find a doc/therapist who can properly assess and treat you. Back surgeries are one of the most unnecessary and failed surgeries. It’s incorrect to think that your pain is only coming from the disc, regardless of the MRI.

  11. Reply

    Hi Doc, I jammed my second toe which is longer than my “big” toe in a fall Christmas night. Major bruising the next day and yet I didn’t think to ice it. We’re heading into Easter and my second toe is still swollen and throbs/aches at night. But throughout the day, I can forget about it. I wish I acted sooner but what do you do for an injury months later? I’m 51 which somewhat explains the slower healing time.
    I don’t believe it’s broken. I’ve read toe exercises but I’m afraid I’d just further aggravate it.
    I am able to work out on the elliptical and/or walk without too much pain, just mild discomfort. Any suggestions? And if I have someone look at it, would you say chiropractic doc or MD?

    Just discovered your site tonight. It’s great and I’m going to go barefoot a lot more often! Denise

  12. Reply

    Hi Sock Doc

    I’m 52 and have suffered achilles tendinitis for the past 18 months. It started in the weeks following a bad fall downstairs but I don’t know if the fall was the cause or if it was from the long time I spent recovering in my reclining chair with my legs up. I’m not a fit person anyway but find that I shy away from doing any exercise these days because it makes the pain flare up. I’ve tried a night splint but found it too uncomfortable to sleep in, and I’ve tried heel stretching and calf strengthening exercises and now have a foam roller. The trouble is I just don’t know which is the right thing to do and how long to persevere for to know if it’s working or not. My doctor has not been helpful, just saying that a person of my age shouldn’t have tendinitis. Any advice gratefully received.

    Many thanks
    Marisa

  13. Reply

    Hi, Sock Doc:

    I’ve been an easy-going but constant runner for many, many years, but then a few years ago I developed a severe case of bilateral plantar fasciitis . The podiatrist told me all the usual stuff–orthotics, shoes with lots of padding, etc., none of which helped and which didn’t make much sense to me. Reading on the internet, including your site, I found lots that DID make sense, however! I threw out the orthotics and started walking barefoot. At first just 15 minutes in the park, but over time, a good hour or more barefoot in the woods. Feels great! Then i slowly started running, but re-learning to run all over again. I was taught to be a heel striker when I started running in high school, so I had to slowly transition to running mid-foot and in minimalist shoes. I went v-e-r-y slowly, starting at 3 minutes and following the no-more-than-10% increase a week rule. All went well, I worked my way up to 5 miles and have been back to my 5 miles, 3 times a week for about a year now. Great, right?

    BUT—now I’ve developed a bad bone spur on the BACK of my heel (bad one on the left, very slight one on the right, actually)—this isn’t on the bottom of the heel, but on the back. And on the left, you can feel the bump. And it hurts!! It hurts when I run, it hurts when I walk, and it hurts to the touch. HELP!! The podiatrist (a different one, but still a podiatrist) wants me to use the ALTRA “zero-drop” shoes. They may be zero-drop, but they look like boats and feel heavy and awful. I’ve been running for the past year and a half in Merrell Pace Gloves. My physical therapist is pretty supportive of minimalist running (her husband is a diehard VFF wearer and always runs in those), but she thinks maybe I should give the ALTRAs a try. I’m resisting. The heel does feel better when I walk around in the old, built-up heel running shoes I have lying around the house, and both the physical therapist and the podiatrist think I should wear those when I’m walking in order to allow the tendon to heal, but to me that just seems like it would shorten the tendon. But nothing else I do seems to help. I’d love to hear your advice!!!

    Many thanks,

    Susan

    • Reply

      Best advice I can give you on this site is to watch the videos and read the articles on plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and foot problems.

  14. Reply

    I rolled my ankle outward almost 2weeks ago. I developed pain a few days later about where the peroneal tendon wraps under the bottom of the foot. It doesn’t really hurt behind the ankle bone. Sometimes it feels better and then it hurts again. Would using the stick help this if I use it on my calf? Any other advice?

  15. Reply

    I have suffered from foot and ankle problems my whole life. I am flat footed (though ironically I spent most of my childhood & adulthood barefooted or in mocassins).

    I just wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing your enormous amount of knowledge. I have been to many doctors over the years and had nearly given up until I found your site. THANK YOU. I follow the paleo diet, do low impact exercise and Hiit, but my problem has been my footwear. I’ve always been told to wear “high arch support” shoes, even tho I’d always object and say that my feet hurt MORE when I wore them. I’m going to invest in a good pair of minimalist shoes for the winter, otherwise I’ll be barefoot 😉

  17. Reply

    Dearest Dr Here Andre Costa from Tokyo Japan
    Sorry you are Busy Dr So,
    A Person That in 18/02/2103 till 02/03/2016 , have misdiagnosed Cracked Fibula < never got a Plaster in My leg or any kind Belts legs Support ,I had/and have already a bone bruise , Patello femural Syndrome , Triceps Muscles damages, a not successfull < Plica Surgery > existent 24 Hours pain in the Holes where camera is fixed on Knee, Osteoarthritis,legs Giveaway, Sciatic nerves cramps , and from last Month have a information from a second opnion doctor of a existent Sciatic nerve and herniated disc . So do you Think The herniated Disc is caused By the Muscles Instability ? Becouse sence 18/02/2013 I didnt have a good rehabilitation Nothing just got many Medical malpractices in Japan.
    legs just pain 24 Hours and many Cramps
    Hope You can help with some guidances .
    How To Book a Medical Check Up in Your Clinic Thanks in advance

  18. Reply

    My daughter has torn her ACL & Mensicus 3 times in the last 4 1/2 years playing competitive soccer 2 x in right , 1 x on left) . Tho, she is not planning on playing in college ,( she leaves in a month) she does want to possibly play intermurals., much to my dismay & concern for health and another injury! She is still in her final phase of rehab for the last surgery. I have always wondered if there was some sort of connection with her either running stance position of her knee over ffeet? or muscle/ ligament weakness that predisposed her to this . Besides looking at her diet ( she is a teenager, should I say more!?) what supplants should she be taking . You mentioned B’s, magnesium, zinc, calcium……. I am going to share this article with her and her PT. I am also sharing it with her brother who is in school for SPORTS Medicine/ ATHLETIC TRAINING . Thank you for your article !

  19. Reply

    This site is fascinating! And very much in line with what I agree with. Thank you so much! Structure governs function… What do you think of that? And, I am looking for the most anti-inflammatory diet there is but I am swamped by so many sites to read…. I have a myriad of issues and am seeking holistic treatment only. I believe that diet is one of the more stronger root causes.
    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  20. Reply

    I had a planter fascia tear three weeks ago. Saw podiatrist and was put in walking boot and told to ice and use anti inflammatories. I can’t use those because of my stomach. Only used cold a few times because I had little to no swelling after a few days and the shot they gave me. Didn’t really seem right to use it if I didn’t need it. I’m supposed to get the boot off next week. Had orthotics made but am afraid to use them because I’m afraid they’ll cause me more pain in my back and hips like the boot has. Not sure how healed the tear is but I have little to no pain. Actually have been doing better running around in my birkenstocks. For some reason now my right fooot is also starting to hurt slightly now too. I use the lift to make me even when I wear the boot. I’m 54 and haven’t been very active for the past three years due to medical problems. Was trying to get better and got on my treadmill and I guess that’s how I did it. I wear ASICS but have some new addidas that have virtually no arch. I have a very high arch. Should I start the orthotics depending on how much the tear had healed or would I be better off without them. Dont want the tear to get worse if it isn’t better. I want to set up a Skype appointment as soon as possible too but need to know how to proceed before we can get that set up.

  21. Reply

    I have morton neuroma in both feet and no cushion at all. Am female (40 years on heels) 70 years old, run 25 km a week. So I have inlays that really enabled me to run without pain. I wonder whether xero shoes or any barefoot shoes would require these inlays or should I brave to run without those. Thanks for min

  22. Reply

    Hi, I had 20cc of steroid shot for right hip bursitis in 2011. The doc was injecting trigger points and It atrophied my gluteal muscles especially the medius. The shape has returned, but I ended up w right meniscus tears requiring debridement & IT band syndrome which has improved significantly. I’ve been to pt, am very active, do pilates but it’s still weaker than my left side. Anything I can do to build it up? Many thanks for any help!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ERROR: si-captcha.php plugin: securimage.php not found.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.