Athletico Health Resources

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…)

With pitchers and catchers reporting for duty, people cramming in marathon gym sessions before spring break, and warm weather making people more active, I can guarantee the number of people seeing doctors, athletic trainers, and physical therapists for shoulder pain will soon rise. Luckily, one cause of shoulder pain, shoulder impingement, is often avoidable with some reasonable preventive strategies. (more…)

In my last post on ACL injuries, I posted that overtraining can predispose someone to an ACL injury. Overtraining (spending too much time training without proper recovery) can have some serious health consequences. Overtraining is becoming an increasingly common problem as athletes are starting to specialize in one sport at younger ages. Discussing solutions to overtraining and specialization is always tough since it usually involves telling someone to play less of the sport they want to excel at. Having said that, research and anecdotal evidence both make a strong case for how varying up the sports you play through the year can lead to a healthier and more successful athletic career. (more…)

As a new year begins, have you begun to revise your personal goals or New Year’s resolutions for 2014? A top choice for many people usually includes something to do with exercise, health, fitness, or sports. As a physical therapist, I am fully on board when individuals, friends, families, players, coworkers, or teams want to get up and get moving. However, before you start that ramped up exercise program, fitness routine, physically demanding occupation, or competitive sport, make sure your movement is up to par for your activity. I’m sure “going to physical therapy” is not on your short list of 2014 goals.  An excellent way to accomplish this is to get yourself, your workplace, or your team a Functional Movement Screen™. (more…)

We have all had those moments driving down the busiest of the Chicago expressways: tight grip, shoulders up to our ears, and a feeling of growing tension in the neck and shoulders. It is rush hour in Chicago and you know that this tension is progressively getting worse day after day, month after month, year after year. Here are my top 5 exercises to ease those post commute aches. (more…)

As the winter season approaches, people collectively tend to become apprehensive and cautious of potential slips and falls. It is common to see an increase in slips and falls in the winter because:

• Ice makes surfaces slippery so our feet do not have solid purchase when on the ground.
• Snow makes the bottom of our shoes wet so when we transition from outdoor to indoor surfaces the potential for slipping and sliding on tile, linoleum, or hardwood increases without proper precautions.
• Snow and ice cause uneven ground surfaces so we are no longer standing on a level base which is more challenging to control.
• Snow can camouflage or hide potential tripping hazards or dangers buried beneath.
• Things like black ice are not visible to our eye and therefore our body is not prepared to react when we step on it. (more…)

The old saying that “happiness is an empty bladder” easily could be adjusted to include that “happiness is a properly functioning bowel.”

Did you know that approximately 80 percent of the population experiences constipation at some point in their lifetime? Constipation is defined as difficulty (straining to pass) or infrequent bowel movements (fewer than 3 per week). Common symptoms of constipation include the need to strain to have a bowel movement, a sense of incomplete emptying, decrease in the amount of stool passed, and the need to use enemas, suppositories, or laxatives to aid in maintaining regularity. (more…)

Pain, numbness, and tingling down the leg is both something I treat daily and something I myself have experienced. Feeling concerned that these symptoms are here to stay and there is little you can do about these symptoms is common. Fortunately, physical therapy can be very effective in treating these symptoms most of the time. I am pain free and many of you suffering with sciatica-type symptoms can be too. (more…)