Health Resources

IT Band Syndrome: The Top 5 Causes and Solutions

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Athletico

Updated: July 18, 2025 Instead of hitting the ground running, many runners hit the ground hurting, specifically on the outer part of their knee. If that’s the case, you could have iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) or IT band syndrome for short. IT band syndrome is an overuse injury that is common in endurance athletes like runners and bikers. It affects a tissue that runs from the side of your hip all of the way down past your knee. Most of the time, the inflammation manifests itself as pain on the outside of the knee. It can be incredibly painful and is typically a frustratingly stubborn injury to deal with. (more…)

Medical Mission to Honduras Changes Lives

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Athletico

* Editor's Note: For the past 5 years, Athletico has supported and participated in a week-long medical brigade in Honduras through Global Brigades. Athletico volunteers have helped in supportive roles such as interpreting, running the pharmacy, triage, dental staffing, and this year, formal physical and occupational therapy. Over 600 patients were seen this year by Athletico volunteers, physicians, nurses, dentists, and other volunteers. This special entry is written by Athletico physical therapist Sarah Holt, who shares with us her experience as a volunteer with this year's brigade. (more…)

Exercise after Baby: Yes, it can be done.

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Athletico

Let’s be honest, with a newborn at home, exercising may be the last thing on your mind, but there are many benefits to exercise after pregnancy. Exercise can promote weight loss, improve cardiovascular fitness, improve your energy level and mood, relieve stress, prevent or improve the recovery from baby blues or 4th trimester depression, improve the strength and condition of abdominal muscles, and even give you a much needed break from your little bundle of joy. (more…)

Tips to Help Avoid Arthritis

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Athletico

In honor of May being Arthritis Awareness Month, I visited the Arthritis Foundation’s website for some inspirational thoughts for this blog post. There is a wealth of information on their website including practical tips for individuals living with arthritis. After perusing through many different articles and pages of information, there seemed to be one underlying message to help avoid arthritis: Stay active! This seems simple enough, but we must make sure we stay active in a safe way to ensure our joints are well protected. (more…)

5 Free and Easy Solutions for Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Athletico

Dealing with the Pain of Shin Splints

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Athletico

The term “shin splints” gets tossed around a lot among athletes. What exactly are shin splints, what causes them and how can you alleviate them if you already are affected by them? Shin splints are not caused by one thing because they are actually a symptom of deeper issues and are not a medical condition. The term shin splint generally refers to achiness and/or acute pain in the front side of your tibia (shin bone) while your foot is dorsiflexed (your foot is flexed). Depending on the person, the pain may be during exercise, immediately following exercise or even all the time. This pain and/or discomfort can be caused by a variety of things. This post will cover the most common causes of shin splints and how you can resolve them. (more…)

Techniques For Preventing Low Back Pain In Golf

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Athletico

When I am working with golfers, the number one complaint that I hear is low back pain (LBP) while golfing. Many golfers think that LBP is something that they just have to live with or play through. The good news is that LBP during golf can be prevented or significantly reduced by taking some simple steps to help your body move in a healthier more efficient way. LBP can be caused by a number of different reasons ranging from muscle weakness to muscle inflexibility to poor golf posture, but no matter what the reason is, most LBP during golf can be treated by improving on 3 major components:  Mobility, Stability and Strength. (more…)

Knee Pain: Understanding Patellofemoral Syndrome

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Athletico

Updated: July 18, 2025 Oftentimes when runners are eager to get outdoors and back into their routine after taking some time off or focusing on indoor runs, they jump right back into activity rather than slowly easing in and thus are more susceptible to injuries, including patellofemoral syndrome, which is often referred to as “runner’s knee.” (more…)