Athletico Health Resources

There are 250,000 anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in the United States every year¹. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major stabilizing ligaments of the knee. The ACL, along with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL), play crucial roles in helping the knee function normally. When one or more of these ligaments is injured, daily activities such as going up and down stairs or walking across uneven terrain can become more challenging. Similarly, an injury to one or more knee ligament(s) can make running, cutting, or jumping difficult in sports. Not all ACL injuries are created equal, as some are more severe than others. Let’s take a look at how ACL injuries are classified.

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Ankle pain is a common reason many people see their physical therapist. It is often after a bad sprain or for a strained muscle. It can also occur following a more severe injury like a fracture or after surgery like an Achilles repair. These reasons for coming to physical therapy are fairly obvious. The injury typically happens suddenly, with a lot of swelling and pain.

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We’ve all tweaked our ankles at some point in our lives. Some of us have even done it so forcefully that we have sprained a ligament, broken a bone, or strained a muscle. Hopefully, you took appropriate care and are feeling better, but often in my practice, I hear the dreaded phrase, “oh yeah, that’s my bad ankle. It never got better after I did (insert something youthful and nostalgic here).”

There are two forms of untreated ankle issues I see in the clinic regularly. The painful ankle that is effectively avoided or the stiff ankle that the patient thinks is normal. Both can have long-term effects on ankle health and wear and tear on the knees, hips, and even low backs.

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Athletico is committed to promoting clinical excellence and inspiring professional growth. As an opportunity for continuing education, we partner with Myopain Seminars, Institute of Advanced Musculoskeletal Training, and Biomedical Dry Needling to deliver dry needling cohorts across our platform. While each of these partners may call their certification something different, all pathways require a significant investment of time and energy. We are proud of these clinicians who are committed to our core value of continuous innovation as well as improving their patient outcomes.

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When someone thinks of men’s health, most people’s first thought is a magazine with the newest Avenger on the cover. For others, the definition of men’s health may be a yearly prostate screen. Still, for others, it might be making time for mental and physical health with exercise and self-care. These are certainly important aspects of men’s health, though maybe not the magazine cover.

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“If I just got into the weightroom four times a week and lifted a bunch of weights, I’d be driving the ball 300 yards like the pros!” Raise your hand if you have ever had that thought run through your head. The funny thing about the best drivers and ball strikers on the PGA tour is that some of them look like they haven’t seen the inside of a weightroom in years, yet they still hit it straight and far. The reason is that brute strength is far less important than timing and control in the golf swing. Thankfully, you don’t need bumper plates and kettlebells to get another few yards.

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Low back pain is a common disorder that affects 84% of adults at some point in their lives. The good news about this is that most back pain gets better without needing imaging (Xrays, MRIs). In most cases, imaging is an unnecessary intervention, particularly in the first six weeks, that costs a significant amount of money to patients. One study found no long-term difference between patients who underwent surgery and those who only did conservative management (therapy) for sciatica. Also, it was found that low back fusion surgery was not more effective than conservative management (therapy) when treating chronic low back pain in patients with lumbar spine pathologies and leads to greater long-term complications such as instability above and below the level of fusion.

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Adhesive capsulitis, or as it is more commonly referred to, frozen shoulder, is a severe and long-term problem. It affects 3-5% of the general population, women slightly more than men, typically between 40-60 years old, and is 4x more likely in people with diabetes. The cause of primary adhesive capsulitis is unknown, but secondary adhesive capsulitis occurs when there is already known primary injury to the shoulder. However, the recovery process can be faster with physical therapy, and you can return to your previous full function. There are three phases of frozen shoulder: freezing, frozen, and thawing.

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