Athletico Health Resources

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…)

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…)

Week 7 in professional football brought about multiple injuries to high profile players across the league, including Bears QB, Jay Cutler who suffered a groin injury. Interestingly enough, Joakim Noah with the Bulls is being held out until the season opener with a similar injury.

When doctors talk about true groin muscles, they’re referring to the group of muscles on the inner part of the leg near the hip also known as the adductor group. The main responsibility of these muscles is to move your leg towards the midline and across the front of your body (adduction). They also play secondary roles in helping to flex the hip (hip flexors) and control hip & leg rotation, making them extremely important muscles for people that run and scramble in unpredictable directions for a living. (more…)

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…)

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…)

We all know that massage therapy feels good and is a healthy reward for our overworked bodies. But, how do you know when you need a massage? I have provided a little cheat sheet for you below. (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…)