60. Dr. Sara Raiser, MD: Running Medicine is a Team Sport

In episode #60 of the podcast, Dr. Kate and Dr. Kacy interview Dr. Sara Raiser, a sports medicine doctor at Emory University and specialist in running medicine. Dr. Raiser has a unique perspective on treating injured runners having been involved in competitive distance running and triathlons as an athlete and also undergoing extensive training throughout her career being mentored from experts around the country in running medicine. Dr. Raiser first discusses her entry into the world of running when she was talked into a 5-mile run with her sister, subsequently experienced the challenge, feeling of accomplishment for sticking it out, and then of course the incredibly sore muscles after such an effort with NO prior training. But, as she says, “I was hooked,” and so she went on to run competitively in high school and then for a short stint as a cross country athlete at Emory University before being sidelined by injuries.

During the interview, Dr. Raiser discusses some of the advanced training that she received at various stages in her career from running medicine experts and researchers from around the country. She explains the nuances of running medicine and how she has embraced this niche within the sports medicine world and really flourished as she eagerly soaked up knowledge from each of her professional settings and mentorship opportunities. Dr. Raiser hits on many useful tips of information including some of the indicators and factors she discusses with athletes in making decisions on when and if it is appropriate to stop running altogether (HINT: if you are limping when you run, STOP running!).

Dr. Raiser and Dr. Kate and Kacy paint a picture of how they are able to practice collaboratively in treating athletes from the Atlanta Track Club as well as other runners in the Atlanta community who seek care first with physical therapy or with Dr. Raiser in her practice in Emory Sports Medicine. Dr. Raiser talks about her emphasis on multidisciplinary care for runners and the importance of taking into consideration the key areas of training, biomechanics, nutrition, and psychology. She also expresses her gratitude to be able to work in tandem with high-level physical therapists like Dr. Kate and Dr. Kacy to extend the best care to the athletes that she works with across the continuum of their injury from diagnosis, to rehabilitation, to injury prevention. You won’t want to miss Dr. Raiser’s answer as Dr. Kacy asks her to envision what her message would be to the masses if she were the “Surgeon General of Running”…

This interview is a great look at the collaboration that can happen within an incredibly caring team of healthcare professionals and some insight into the world of running medicine. We know you will LOVE this episode with Dr. Raiser.