Athletico Health Resources

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, the dreaded injury. Many people know ACL tears are a severe injury, involving a long road of recovery despite surgical or conservative intervention. The ACL is a sturdy ligament deep in the knee joint that stabilizes the knee, specifically with rotational movements. There are two ways to injure your ACL, direct contact or non-contact. A direct contact ACL injury is when the knee takes a direct blow from another person or object. A non-contact ACL injury occurs when pivoting, cutting, twisting, or landing on the knee. (more…)

Life gets busy. Long days at work, plans with friends on the weekends, taking the kids to their activities. It can be easy to put care for oneself on the back burner and not take time for you. One thing you should never put off, however, is physical care for yourself. Whether you have nagging lower back pain or a shoulder ache you thought would resolve on its own, or maybe a stiff neck that appeared one morning when you woke up, it’s important to address the pain or injury.  Fortunately, physical therapy can help manage all of these ailments and more. It’s time to make time for you, be proactive about your health, and seek physical therapy care sooner rather than later. (more…)

When talking with a healthcare provider, medical jargon can quickly become alphabet soup. The knee, for example, houses the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament. The ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL respectively. Huh? What do those words and acronyms even mean? What do these structures do for the knee anyway? In the absence of an explanation, this jargon can become confusing or overwhelming for patients. Let’s take a deeper look at two of the major ligaments in the knee and make some sense of the alphabet soup, shall we? (more…)

If you experience a lump on your wrist, it may seem very concerning. More than likely however, there is little need for concern. The potential cause of the lump on your wrist is something called a ganglion cyst. In this blog, we’ll discuss what a ganglion cyst is and what it isn’t, who it affects, and how it can be treated. (more…)

As an Athletico physical therapist and competitive cyclist, I am eager to share my love for cycling with others. Right now, I’m super excited about the Tour de France. Over the past several years, it’s been gratifying to see cycling grow in the United States as a competitive sport, a fun way to exercise, and an environmentally-friendly way to commute. All outdoor cyclists, from the Tour de France riders to the city commuters in Chicago, are at risk of crash-related injuries. One of the most common is concussions. In this blog, I will discuss what you can do, as well as what physical therapists can do, to help you protect yourself. (more…)

The summer Olympics are fast approaching. I know I am extremely excited to watch all the events after the games were delayed last year due to the pandemic. Olympians are elite athletes at the top of their fields. They train for many years for a chance to qualify for this giant international competition. With this intensity and dedication to training, injury does occur. Here are just a few athletes returning to qualify for the Olympics after sustaining an injury and when to look for them during the Tokyo Olympics!

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With ACL injuries on the rise in young athletes, it is as important as ever to improve the strength in the lower limbs as a means to prevent an ACL tear.¹ The average time of recovery after an ACL tear and subsequent surgery is typically six to nine months, and can set back an athlete for a much longer period of time than that.² Biomechanics and strength are just a few pieces of the puzzle that can help prevent an injury. Proper rest, recovery, sleep, and nutrition can also help minimize the risk of an ACL tear from happening. The following are a list of strengthening exercises that address important aspects of an ACL prevention program. (more…)

People who work in labor intensive jobs are often thought of as “industrial athletes” due to the heavy physical demands of their jobs. In such settings, on-the-job injuries tend to be more common and it can be challenging to get back to work, especially when working requires lifting heavy loads, pushing, pulling, walking long distances, etc. In these situations, not only does the injured worker have to heal from their injury, but they also have to restore strength and endurance in order to return to work safely. Physical therapy after a work injury can decrease disability and impairment, so long as you are compliant with the program. Here are five ways your physical therapist can help you prepare to return to work after an injury or illness. (more…)