Athletico Health Resources

Neck pain is a common cause of pain and lost work time in the United States and is one of the most common reasons that patients seek healthcare, with the majority of patients choosing to visit their primary care physicians first. Primary care providers may prescribe medication, imaging, and specialist referral. Once the patient sees the specialist, they may be referred to physical therapy. However, current evidence shows that early access to physical therapy, particularly via direct access (direct access to physical therapy, without the need for a referral or prescription from your physician), has been shown to decrease healthcare costs overall and improve outcomes. (more…)

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis (Pronounced Deh-KWUHR-vanes ten-oh-sin-oh-VITE-us) is the formal name for a condition that has many other more common names such as “mother's thumb,” “mommy wrist,” “washer woman’s syndrome,” and “gamer's thumb.” This condition is often associated with repetitive hand, thumb, and wrist use. Fritz de Quervain named this condition in the early 1900s. He was a Swiss-born surgeon, who was also responsible for introducing iodized table salt to help prevent thyroid disease, called a goiter. (more…)

Low back pain and neck pain are common causes for patients to seek care from a medical provider. 84% of individuals experience low back pain at some point, and around 70% suffer from neck pain. Patients often will inquire about whether imaging (X-rays & MRIs) is needed when this happens. Throughout this blog, we will address common misconceptions regarding imaging of the spine. (more…)

Did you know the right baby stroller can make all the difference in activities from your neighborhood walk to maneuvering the mall? A stroller is a must-have for life on the go with a baby. Experiences with a baby can be simpler if the right stroller is paired correctly with your particular lifestyle. Finding the best stroller isn’t easy and can feel like a considerable expense. However, if you plan to take your baby out often or have more than one child, your stroller will get years of use. (more…)

Earlier months in the year have come and gone, and the routines of the cold weather months may be changing. Increased daylight hours have allowed for more time outdoors, participating in leisure and work. As the events that consume our free time begin to change, the physical demands on our bodies, specifically our hands, ought to be thought about and considered to prevent injury. (more…)

We’ve all been through it, the dreaded pre-exercise blues. Not quite sure if you want to go through with it; there are a million other things you could be doing instead. But you know that you will feel better if you do exercise, and while removing the guilt of not exercising is partly the reason, there is a scientific basis for why exercise makes us feel better. (more…)

During Occupational Therapy Month, we sat down with OT health expert Erik Krol to discuss what is Occupational Therapy and what you can expect in regard to your recovery. (more…)

The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. Recent research has discovered links between poor sleep and “hypertension, obesity, type-2 diabetes, impaired immune functioning, cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, mood disorders, neurodegeneration and dementia, and even loneliness.” The causes for poor sleep are vast, but as it relates to physical therapy, sometimes pain can be the cause. Have you ever had a night you just can’t seem to get comfortable because your neck, back, or shoulder hurts? Next thing you know, the alarm clock is ringing, and you’ve barely slept at all. You drag through the next day at work, aren’t productive, and then go home only to experience the same poor night of rest again. Let’s look at ways to improve sleep that is disrupted due to shoulder pain. Sleep position is the most important piece when it comes to shoulder pain. An improved sleep position can truly make the difference maker between a restful and unrestful slumber. The following sleep position modifications may help provide additional support to the arm/shoulder to reduce pain. (more…)