Athletico Health Resources

The thumb: It has allowed humans to develop into the most dominant species on the planet. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Mona Lisa, the Seven Wonders of the World, or quarterbacks that can complete a pass while scrambling out of the pocket when their protection breaks down. You can see just how important the “lone wolf of the hand” is in life and sports, and when Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was sidelined by a thumb injury, I started getting a lot of questions about thumb injuries in athletics. They’re fairly common in sports since the thumb is separate from the other fingers, exposing it to some unique injuries. Lucky for you, my background allows me to explain what a couple of the more common injuries are. (more…)

Holidays are not only a time of joy, but they are also usually a time of overindulgence and stress. Around the holidays people have more than their fair share of cookies, chocolates, cocktails, and wine (my mouth is watering just thinking about it). So I propose that this year instead of going along with the status quo, we give gifts that will enhance the health of the recipients. Here are just a few ideas: (more…)

The incidence of slips and falls outdoors significantly increases during the winter months. As our sidewalks get icy, we need to be more careful when we venture outside. Here are some tips to help you prevent falling this winter: (more…)

It is that time of year again, the cold is creeping in and the holidays are upon us. The holidays are such a joyous time of year, but they can also be stressful and a time when people over-do themselves. With all the demands of shopping for food and gifts, hanging decorations around the house, making meals and hosting parties, many people find themselves with more aches and fatigue in their muscles. Here are some tips for minimizing the aches and pains that can occur during the holidays. (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.”

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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…)

I have been a physical therapist for twelve years and have been treating pelvic floor conditions for the last five years. It never ceases to amaze me how many of my patients have been suffering with pelvic pain, incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse for many years and have not been educated on the benefits of physical therapy in the rehabilitation of these conditions. Many of these patients can achieve resolution of their symptoms in a relatively short period of time with physical therapy treatment. (more…)