Athletico Employee Returns Home to Boston
*Editor’s Note: Last month, runners everywhere were affected by the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon. Fortunately, all Athletico employees that participated in the race were unharmed. Our thoughts remain with all of those who were affected. This special entry is written by Athletico physical therapist Mike Morrow, a Boston native, who shares with us his experience returning to Boston and the site of the Boston Marathon for the first time since the bombings last month. (more…)
If My Arthritis is Not Reversible, Why Should I See a Physical Therapist?
As a physical therapist I often hear people make the statement “My knee hurts today, but it always does; I have arthritis” or “Physical therapy can’t help me because my pain is from arthritis.” Once a joint is showing arthritic changes or degeneration, it’s true that degeneration will not reverse. However, research is showing more and more how physical therapy can often make changes in the pain you experience from a joint that is diagnosed with arthritis. Isn’t that great news?! (more…)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Separating Fact from Fiction
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Betsy Schack, OTR/L. Betsy is an occupational/hand therapist at Athletico Skokie and Athletico Park Ridge.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and felt like your hand was just put in a pile of fire ants? You wake up and shake your hand furiously, but the burning does not go away. What you’re experiencing could be carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Read more about what causes CTS and how you can not only prevent it but fix it before it becomes worse. (more…)
America’s Growing Epidemic: Text Neck
Take a look at any group of people and you will, without fail, see a few of them with their cell phones out, heads lowered, and shoulders rolled forward – temporarily hunchbacked because of an incoming text. Any physical therapist, athletic trainer, or physician can tell you that that type of posture (text neck) can lead to a wide range of injuries in the neck, back, shoulders, and arms. Now I’m not advocating abandoning texting and moving to a Bluetooth headset-only society/dystopia. I’m also not saying we should eschew cell phones like a grizzled hermit, angrily shaking our fists at anything that plugs in. I just want you to be aware of what you’re predisposing yourself to and what you can do to help counteract the effects of text-neck. So here are a couple of key things to think about the next time you pull out your cell phone. (more…)
Outdoor Spring Project Safety
For the past month, I have been longingly looking out of my window and making a mental list of all the yard work that needs to be done this spring. This is a great time of year to get the family involved and have them help with the load of outdoor projects. There are some safety tips to keep in mind so that you can get your projects done safely without injuring yourself. (more…)
What You Can Do Right Now about Your Elbow Pain
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Betsy Schack, OTR/L. Betsy is an occupational/hand therapist at Athletico Skokie and Athletico Park Ridge.
Does it seem like you can’t get through the day without having pain in your elbow? You go to lift your laundry basket, pull a door open, or even try to twist off the cap to your water bottle and feel pain or soreness. Elbow pain is one of the most common problems occupational/hand therapists treat. Two of the most common elbow diagnoses are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Depending on the cause and location of your pain, it can be treated easily and effectively with a few simple steps. (more…)
Occupational/Hand Therapy: Your Questions Answered
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Betsy Schack, OTR/L. Betsy is an occupational/hand therapist at Athletico Skokie and Athletico Park Ridge.
April is just around the corner. Hopefully the winter coats will soon be back in storage. April is also National Occupational Therapy Month! If you’re reading this blog you’ve most likely heard of physical therapy. Maybe you’ve needed physical therapy after you broke your ankle or for the arthritis pain in your knee. Among many other services that Athletico provides, occupational/hand therapy is quickly growing and currently provided at 29 of our 72 locations. (more…)
Preventing Recurrent Ankle Sprains
When I treat a patient after an ankle sprain, I am never surprised to find out that this may not be the first time they sprained their ankle. I often have younger athletes in the clinic after their second or third ankle sprain and find out that they never had any formal treatment after the first one. So why are recurring ankle sprains so common and how can we prevent them? (more…)
