Athletico Health Resources

Schools are gearing back up for another school year! The school year starts with lots of energy and positivity, but can also contribute to pain. Teachers are moving rooms, lifting boxes and books, are stooped over the desks of the children, and will be sitting for hours grading papers. Students will be sitting for long periods of time, often in a slumped position and carrying backpacks that weigh as much as they do.  Athletes will return to sports, sometimes after a summer of inactivity, and injuries will start to present themselves. This time of year is busy and there is definitely no time for pain. So…what can you do if pain starts to creep into the back to school season? Utilize Athletico’s complimentary injury screening! (more…)

Whiplash is a term used to describe an injury to the neck area that usually involves a rapid movement into extension and flexion, such as in a car accident. Whiplash is the most common non-fatal injury associated with a motor vehicle accident and can even occur at speeds of less than 15 miles per hour. Symptoms of neck stiffness and pain usually appear in the days following the accident and can last for several months, often becoming chronic in 25% of individuals. (more…)

Many patients come to physical therapy with knee pain as a result of gym workouts. Here are three ways to avoid knee pain while working out at the gym: (more…)

Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Pam Lasky, PT, DPT, pediatric physical therapist and Pediatrics Program Manager.

Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs have made raising kids today a whole new ball game. We are inundated with new baby photos, “my child rolled at 2 months” Facebook statuses, and the baby genius who is walking, talking, and riding a bike by 12 months. As a physical therapist who works with a wide variety of children, I am constantly being asked what the “norms” are.  I wanted to take this time to address one of the most common questions I receive as a pediatric physical therapist. (more…)

Editor’s Note: Today’s blog post was written by Ashley Shupe, PT, DPT, pediatric physical therapist at Athletico Oak Park.

There’s a lot to keep in mind when bringing a new infant home from the hospital and, in the early stages of development, positioning is of the utmost importance. Having an infant spend supervised time on their stomach is being recommended by both clinicians and pediatricians and is commonly referred to as “tummy time.” Tummy time has been introduced as a priority since the introduction to the Back to Sleep Campaign developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Tummy time was originally avoided in young infants secondary to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), but the importance of awake tummy time has shown to be incredibly beneficial for gross motor and cognitive development. (more…)

“I had surgery 2 weeks ago. When can I wear heels?”

“I wore heels for 30 years, every day at my job. Now I can’t wear flat shoes because my ankles are too tight.”

“I have a growth in my foot that is pressing on some nerves. I just want to wear heels again.”

“Please tell my daughter not to wear 5 inch heels!”

These are a few statements, as a therapist, I hear more often than you may think!  Woman LOVE their high heeled shoes! I recently went to a dancing event where a family friend showed off her dance heels to me. I asked her why she wasn’t dancing, and she told me that she couldn’t stay balanced in her dance shoes! Now I am a girl, and I like to dress up and put on heels, too. However, as a therapist who sees heel lovers suffer ankle fractures and sprains, I have to wonder: Is the thought of “beauty before pain” truly worth it? (more…)

For most of us, undergoing surgery is a big deal. Not only do we have to consider the cost and potential risk factors, but we have personal questions about the efficacy and the outcomes we can expect. Elective surgery is a big decision because it is an invasive procedure; so we want assurances that we will be coming out of it better than we were going into it. Though there are no absolute guarantees, you will want to have some open dialogue with your physician of choice to get your questions answered. In many instances, you may even want to get a second or third opinion to not only confirm that surgery is indeed necessary but to make sure you entrust your care to someone you deem both competent and knowledgeable. (more…)

As a physical therapist I often hear people make the statement “My knee hurts today, but it always does; I have arthritis” or “Physical therapy can’t help me because my pain is from arthritis.” Once a joint is showing arthritic changes or degeneration, it’s true that degeneration will not reverse. However, research is showing more and more how physical therapy can often make changes in the pain you experience from a joint that is diagnosed with arthritis. Isn’t that great news?! (more…)