Page 1 of Marybeth Crane's writing

1. Iliotibial Band Syndrome? A Pain in the Runner's Knee! If you have just started running, you probably have no idea what an iliotibial band is, let alone where it is in your body. If you have been running for years, you fondly refer to it as your "IT band". This is a very commonly irritated area in a... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 124 days ago.)

2. Does Your Child Run Funny? Are you one of the thousands of parents in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and around the United States that is concerned about how your child runs or walks? Have you noticed that their feet and ankles turn in or out? Do you question your... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 128 days ago.)

3. What Makes a Shoe Comfortable? If you are like most women (and some men), you have at least 50 pairs of shoes in your closet and can't or won't wear many of them. They feel great or look awesome in the store, but by the time they get home and you pull them out to show all your... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 205 days ago.)

4. Painful Lump In Your Arch? Could Be Plantar Fibromatosis Plantar Fibromatosis. Wow, that's a mouthful! What is it? A lump in your arch that is firm and doesn't move. They usually start out as a very small pea sized nodule that increases in size over time. Most people don't even notice them until they... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 211 days ago.)

5. Ugly Toenails Linked With Depression! New Treatments Are Hopeful! Many people suffer from a common problem: ugly, thick toenails. Often this is caused by onychomycosis, a fungal infection in the nails. Most people actually feel this is simply a minor cosmetic problem and really do not classify this as a disease.... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 271 days ago.)

6. When is a Bunion Not a Buinon? It happened again today in my office. A woman came in asking for bunion surgery. She had put up with the pain in her big toe for years and finally had had enough. Many years ago her family physician told her to wait until she couldn't stand the... (posted by Marybeth 2 years 336 days ago.)

7. The $2,000 Rusty Nail! It all started with a late Saturday afternoon phone call. My hairdresser, Anne, called to ask if I could possibly look at her foot. Now! It seems that she and her daughter were in a creative mood while doing yard work that afternoon. They decided... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 27 days ago.)

8. Bunion Surgery Revealed Many patients are very apprehensive about bunion surgery. They have heard horror stories of severe pain and bad outcomes. These are usually not true. Bunion surgery is actually quite successful, in the right patient, done by the right doctor. Most... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 36 days ago.)

9. What is the Best Running Shoe For Me? Running shoes are continually evolving and there are plenty of folks willing to share their expertise! There is no "perfect" or "best" shoe on the market. Everyone's feet are different in shape and function differently. All I can hope to offer... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 52 days ago.)

10. Forefoot Pain Got You Down? Are you experiencing chronic pain in the ball of your foot? Have you noticed your second toe is curling more and lifting in your shoes? You may be experiecing a plantar plate injury. What in the heck is a plantar plate injury? (as we all tilt... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 99 days ago.)

11. Painful Corns on Your Toes? "My toes are hurting every time I put on a pair of shoes! Even my Crocs hurt! I've noticed some little red spots on my toes that seem to be growing. What's going on? I've tried to scrub them off but they hurt! I even tried some pads but they just... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 137 days ago.)

12. Poor Circulation in Diabetic Feet? How does a diabetic know if they have poor circulation in their feet? There is an increased incidence of peripheral arterial disease in diabetics. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is defined as a narrowing or blockage of arteries that results in... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 140 days ago.)

13. Got Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? It's the day after the marathon. You get out of bed feeling like you should have gotten the license plate of the truck that just ran over you. You find you can walk small steps but notice you can go upstairs but downstairs is nearly impossible.... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 140 days ago.)

14. Got the Ball of Foot Pain Blues? I've got the ball of foot pain blues! I really do! I have had them on and off for over a year now and it is time to come out and share with you all why things like this happen and what keeps me pain-free and happy! Pain under the ball the foot is... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 141 days ago.)

15. If Misty May-Treanor Suffered an Achilles Tendon Rupture, So Can You! It has been a rough early fall for Misty May-Treanor, Olympic Beach volleyball champion. She was in the preliminary rounds of "Dancing with the Stars" when she ruptured her Achilles tendon in practice. She had successful surgery on her tendon and... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 218 days ago.)

16. Are Custom Orthotics Necessary for Runners? Walking alone puts up to 1.5 times one's body weight on the foot. Running has been seen to put 3 times your body weight through every inch of your foot. The foot is a very complex structure which when functioning optimally supports and balances... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 232 days ago.)

17. Do Your Child's Flat Feet Hurt? Many parents are concerned when they look at their child's foot and it seems excessively flat. They are even more disturbed if one or more have a flat painful foot. They ask if the pain they experienced as a child can be avoided. Unfortunately... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 242 days ago.)

18. 19 Tips To Running Faster! The great thing with running, unlike many other sports, is that it's very simple to objectively measure progress. How are you progressing? Or have you got yourself into a rut? We may not all be destined to become elite runners, but most of us feel... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 259 days ago.)

19. Children's Feet and Gait Problems Pamper your child's feet. Proper care and treatment of the feet, beginning in childhood, will prevent many of the orthopedic foot and ankle problems seen in adults. Preventive medicine in the field of podiatric medicine is just as important to... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 267 days ago.)

20. Stretching Pros and Cons The jury is still out when it comes to stretching in the running community. I have been running for almost 30 years with multiple coaches on numerous competitive levels, all of them told us to stretch daily to get faster and avoid injury. Yet many... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 301 days ago.)

21. Painful Blisters Are No Fun on the Run! Painful blisters often plague distance runners. Blisters, as we all know, are caused by friction. Repeated rubbing of damp skin creates more friction than dry skin. Reduce dampness as well as the rubbing, and you'll reduce blistering. So we all... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 302 days ago.)

22. Biomechanical Knee Pain? I had an email last week from a relatively new runner asking who they should see for their knee pain. I asked if they twisted, fell, or jammed their knee or if it was just a wear and tear injury? They confided that as they increased their mileage... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 310 days ago.)

23. 9 Common Questions About Foot Surgery Of the many patients we see on a daily basis, often their foot and ankle problems can be helped with conservative, non-surgical care. But there are times when surgery is necessary to relieve pain, remove a deformity or repair an injury. You should... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 311 days ago.)

24. Solutions for Exercise-Induced Back Pain Did you know that low back pain at some point in time will inflict over 80% of the population? Proper footwear can potentially prevent, reduce and treat biomechanical factors associated with low back pain in runners. Back pain can be a mysterious... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 315 days ago.)

25. Killer Shin Splints Slowing Down Your Run? "My shins are killing me after running," is a common complaint of new runners or runners increasing their mileage or intensity. My daughter Caitlin complained of shin splints after only two weeks of running summer track! It has been estimated that... (posted by Marybeth 3 years 318 days ago.)