Athletico Health Resources

This week’s stretch is called head to knee forward fold. Don’t let the name fool you! It can take years to actually get the forehead to the knee WITHOUT rounding in the back. Just do your best and be happy with where you are in it today 🙂 This stretch is great for calming the mind, relieving mild depression/anxiety, simulating the liver/kidneys and also helps to improve digestion just to name a few benefits!

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Keeping with our theme of stretching the hamstrings for this month, I give you wide angle seated forward fold! Things you might need for this stretch: a blanket/towel and possibly a block, or something to rest the hands on as shown in the photo.

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“Thats the thing about pain.  It demands to be felt.”- John Green

Early on in college, I decided in addition to majoring in physical therapy, I would also major in psychology.  Why?  I felt that if I was going to treat and understand the physical aspect of a person, I better understand a little bit about the brain, thoughts and emotion of an individual.  After all, each of us is not just a body or a brain.  We have both.  Why is it that it’s readily accepted as the “norm” if you mention you have knee arthritis or back pain, however, it becomes taboo to discuss the psychology or emotion that may be involved with that pain?  I firmly believe that the psychology of what one is experiencing is extremely important to discuss and address. (more…)

When was the last time you performed a breast self-exam?  When I asked a number of women recently, the typical response was “not very often, but I know I should do it monthly.” Screening for breast cancer can be a scary topic, but with regular self examinations it doesn’t have to be. (more…)

Have you ever injured or torn your ACL ligament? We’ve got the exercises and stretches for you! Athletico’s Dave Heidloff ATC, NASM-PES, FMS, provides stretches for athletes or anyone suffering from an ACL injury. Stretches are provided for anyone dealing with an ACL injury, specifically for those preparing for surgery or returning from surgery. Watch Dave’s exercises for an ACL injury below: (more…)

A stress fracture can be one of the most irritating injuries to a runner.  When one receives the diagnosis of a stress fracture, the injury will sideline a runner for an average of six weeks. This means no running at all, and most often runners must wear a boot or use crutches. Here are some frequently asked questions to about causes of stress fractures and the pain associated with the injury. (more…)

Although muscle cramping can happen any time of year for a variety reasons, I tend to notice increased complaints from my active and/or athletic populations during the throes of summer.  Whether they are simply being more outdoorsy and recreational or training for an upcoming sport season or competition, muscle cramping seems to be more prevalent in hot weather.  For those of you wondering about the “how” and “why,” below you’ll find a quick review but more importantly, some tips and pointers on what you can do to combat muscle cramping in hotter weather.

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So after attending a running event expo, you received an exercise band in your “swag” bag from Athletico. You have seen them before or even have a few collecting dust in your closet – but what is the purpose of this yellow or green piece of elastic? What are the physical benefits to you and why use one? (more…)