5 Upper Extremity Overuse Injuries in Growing Athletes
Young athletes today are often practicing three to four hours a day, four to five times per week. Weekends are often spent competing hours at a time. As intensity of sport participation has increased so has the injury level of the upper extremities. Understanding that kids are not little adults and respecting the growing body is key to staying in the game. The good news is that focus on how to prevent overuse injury in sports for growing athletes is also on the rise. Listed below are 5 common upper extremity overuse injuries in young athletes and ways to help prevent these injuries. (more…)
Get in the Swing of Things: It’s Almost Golf Season
After a cold, snowy, and record-setting winter in Chicago, believe it or not, golf is just around the corner. Now that the snow melted, temperatures are increasing, and grass is growing, divots will be flying on the golf course. The last thing you want this season is to be sidelined because of an injury after being sidelined for by the weather. Golf is a dynamic, athletic movement that entails neurological and musculoskeletal components. In order for you to return to mid-season form, you must take care of the most important aspect of your game: your body. (more…)
Using Heat or Ice to Treat Injuries
Athletes are often recommended by medical professionals to use a method like ice or heat for injuries. But they may be told by a friend to use which ever one feels better. So how do you know when to use heat or ice to treat injuries? (more…)
19 Ways to Relieve Muscular and Joint Pain on a 19-Hour Flight
I just got back from an amazing trip to the Philippines! The country, the culture, the people who live there were all fantastic! The airplane ride, however, was not so fantastic. I painfully scrunched myself in economy class, where my knees were especially angry with me on the way there. However, on the way back, I implemented these 19 ways to relieve pain on a 19-hour flight, and my body was very thankful! (more…)
Specialization in Athletics
High school sports have more exposure now more than ever. This is partially due to nationally televised games such as football and basketball. There are now showcases for potential recruiters where young athletes can participate while still developing. Competition for an athletic scholarship has never been greater. Now, athletes are specializing in their sport to earn a competitive advantage and be the best at young age. Should specialization in athletics be touted, or should they continue to play multiple sports year round? Multiple researchers and college coaches state that single sport specialization is not the best practice. (more…)
Benefits of Foam Rolling for Hockey Warm-Up
As a medical professional who not only works with the Chicago Blackhawks but also a large number of hockey players of all levels, one of the more recurrent questions I receive is, “how to adequately warm-up before taking the ice?” My answer is the foam roll, for a variety of reasons.
Should we take the “Ice” out of R.I.C.E.
R.I.C.E., which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation, is an acronym familiar to many. Whether you are an “average Joe” or an athlete, coach, doctor, therapist or trainer it’s fairly common knowledge that if you are experiencing an acute soft tissue injury, R.I.C.E. is the standard operating procedure to get on track for a speedy recovery. As medicine becomes more evidence based we look to research to support much of our clinical decision making. Does current research still support the R.I.C.E. protocol? (more…)
Minimalist Shoes: Are They Right for You?
As the colder weather approaches, moving indoors to train might be on the radar for some. For many elite runners, preparing to running through the frightful weather may be the usual, but as the temperature drops, most of us are ready to move indoors to avoid the cold, the elements and the runny nose. Having the right kind of shoe for running indoors can help improve your desired training results. (more…)
