Athletico Health Resources

It’s baseball and softball season and that means three things to me as an athletic trainer: hot dogs, bleachers and shoulder pain. While all three of those cause discomfort in their own way, I find shoulder pain to be the most pertinent to be addressed by my skill set. I’ve found that a majority of shoulder pain stems from a few of the following avoidable mistakes made by overhead athletes. (more…)

For a team that has a hooved mascot, the Bulls have had their fair share of toe injuries. One particular injury, turf toe, has reared its ugly head more than a few times over the past few seasons. I know what you’re thinking. Why is an injury that happens on the court called turf toe and not court toe? Well, since this injury was initially common due to the nature of early versions of artificial turf, it quickly got its alliterative name “turf toe” even though it can happen on any surface. Luckily, modern artificial turf has improved to a point that it no longer carries an increased risk of this injury, but the name has stuck around. (more…)

New Year’s resolutions to become more active are great. I hope everyone who made a resolution to be fit is starting to see a difference. That said, if someone has been pretty sedentary, and he or she jumps into a new fitness program too quickly, overuse injuries can occur. Understanding how to pace yourself while getting fit is key. (more…)

The off-season. For some teams, it seems to come too quickly too often. While this may have somewhat negative connotation for fans, for athletes the off-season is a necessary part of the training cycle. With year-round sports and athletics becoming more prevalent, the incidences of injuries due to overuse are increasing, especially in youth athletics. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with specializing in one sport year-round, it does present a problem when there is no time taken to let the body properly recover. (more…)

The thumb: It has allowed humans to develop into the most dominant species on the planet. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Mona Lisa, the Seven Wonders of the World, or quarterbacks that can complete a pass while scrambling out of the pocket when their protection breaks down. You can see just how important the “lone wolf of the hand” is in life and sports, and when Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was sidelined by a thumb injury, I started getting a lot of questions about thumb injuries in athletics. They’re fairly common in sports since the thumb is separate from the other fingers, exposing it to some unique injuries. Lucky for you, my background allows me to explain what a couple of the more common injuries are. (more…)

As women’s involvement in athletic activity has increased dramatically in the last few decades, so has the incidence of female athlete triad. The incidence of female athlete triad is not well documented but studies have reported that anywhere from 15%-62% of female college athletes are affected. Female athlete triad is a syndrome comprised of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis or decreased bone mineral density. (more…)

Ankle sprains are generally regarded as the most common sports-related injury and are, consequently, the #1 reason for lost time in athletics. In fact, it’s estimated that 1 in 17 high school athletes will suffer an ankle sprain per season. Yikes! Those are better odds than a lot of games in Vegas. As an athletic trainer, injury prevention is my top priority, so I’ve come up with a list of 5 ways to reduce your chance of experiencing (or re-experiencing) an ankle sprain. (more…)

Sigh… We knew it couldn’t last forever. Although it’s been pretty mild so far, we know what’s next. Fall is here, and winter’s coming.

It’s easy to think that the cold and the puffy clothes we wear are a good excuse to hit the buffet a little harder and to lower the fitness goals. However, there are a lot of great ways to stay fit and have fun during the winter months. Even if you don’t join an organized activity, get outside for some fresh air and natural vitamin D.  This blog post is dedicated to tips on how to exercise safely and comfortably throughout the winter. (more…)