If you are committed to maintaining an active lifestyle you need to make sure you know your doctor. I’m not saying activity is so bad for you that it will make you sick. Actually, the opposite is true. But, in the course of living the active life there will be times that you will need to see your doctor in order to help keep you moving forward.

Today was one of those times for me. I went to see a sports podiatrist to make sure that my ankle was OK. I also wanted to discuss some specific options regarding treatment that would allow me to keep working out.

The Dr. did a full exam including x-rays and gait analysis (watching how I walk). The result of the exam was generally positive. There is nothing wrong structurally (torn tendons, etc.) with my ankle, just some nagging tendinitis. But, the Dr. was pretty firm in his analysis of my overall flexibility, which basically stinks. He said that my almost total lack of flexibility, especially in my hamstrings, was probably contributing to my ankle problems and I’d better fix that if I want to stay problem free. He referred me to a sports massage therapist for treatment every 7-10 days for the next month and gave me a number of stretches to do every day. I have a follow up appointment in 8 weeks to make sure everything is OK. If it isn’t he will take more aggressive steps which could include custom foot beds for my shoes to help stabilize my feet.

I left his office feeling better about my condition and excited to get started with my treatment. I am confident that I can continue riding without further injury. Cross your fingers :’)