Athletico Health Resources

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…)

“It is going to rain or snow, I can feel it in my joints,” is a very common phrase I hear among my patients with arthritis. While having arthritis can make you an accurate predictor of the weather, especially as the cold approaches, winter can be a tough time of year for those with chronic arthritic symptoms. If you do not have the luxury of being a snow bird and escaping to somewhere warm during these long winter months, here are some tips for managing arthritis during the cold weather. (more…)

When an athlete is injured, a doctor will often prescribe a round of physical therapy to help facilitate the healing process. As an athletic trainer (AT), I’m often asked by parents why a student-athlete can’t just do their therapy with me in the athletic training room instead of going off-site to a clinic for formal physical therapy. The truth is that as an athletic trainer, I’m a part of a healthcare team, and like any other team, I feel that each member plays a role that maximizes their potential. Personally, and dependant on the nature of the injury, if I want my athlete to get the highest quality of care, I’m going to set them up with formal physical therapy with a physical therapist (PT). (more…)

I recently returned back to work after maternity leave. At the end of my second day back, I was sitting at my desk, and I started getting a headache. I would probably classify it as a tension headache, but regardless of what you call it--it hurt. I instantly started to massage my neck to try to relax the muscles and give myself some relief. The first thing I thought was that I was lucky I knew what was causing the pain and how to give myself relief. At that point I thought, “This should be your next blog post! So many people suffer from headaches and don’t know what to do about it.” (more…)

Are you a “weekend warrior” who performs little to no exercise during the week and then tries to make up for it on the weekend? If you are, you are not alone.  As we get older and have more responsibilities with work and family, exercise sometimes takes a backseat.  We have good intentions and want to continue exercising because of the obvious health benefits but we don’t have the time, motivation, or energy during the work week.  As a result, we become weekend warriors.  This is a particularly problematic pattern of exercise because in many cases we do not maintain the physical activity level necessary to participate in our sport or activity and therefore open ourselves up to injury. (more…)

In case you haven't heard, October is National Physical Therapy Month, and AthletiCo is celebrating by giving back to its patients and the community.  Check out what we're up to this month! 1.       LifeSource Blood Drive at Six Locations This year, in an effort to continuously improve AthletiCo’s annual blood drive, AthletiCo has teamed up with LifeSource, the largest blood center in Illinois, to hold 6 convenient drives at locations in Oak Brook, Deerfield, Naperville, Hoffman Estates, and two Chicago locations. (more…)

It’s hard to believe that it's time for your Marathon. After all that training, now is the time you’ve been preparing for. I personally don’t even like driving 26 miles, but I have spent enough time with runners to understand that running a marathon is the ultimate test of strength and endurance. So, what happens on the Monday or Tuesday after you've completed the marathon, and how can a massage help? Here are eight reasons to get a massage the week after you complete a marathon: (more…)