Athletico Health Resources

Pain, numbness, and tingling down the leg is both something I treat daily and something I myself have experienced. Feeling concerned that these symptoms are here to stay and there is little you can do about these symptoms is common. Fortunately, physical therapy can be very effective in treating these symptoms most of the time. I am pain free and many of you suffering with sciatica-type symptoms can be too. (more…)

Week 7 in professional football brought about multiple injuries to high profile players across the league, including Bears QB, Jay Cutler who suffered a groin injury. Interestingly enough, Joakim Noah with the Bulls is being held out until the season opener with a similar injury.

When doctors talk about true groin muscles, they’re referring to the group of muscles on the inner part of the leg near the hip also known as the adductor group. The main responsibility of these muscles is to move your leg towards the midline and across the front of your body (adduction). They also play secondary roles in helping to flex the hip (hip flexors) and control hip & leg rotation, making them extremely important muscles for people that run and scramble in unpredictable directions for a living. (more…)

Fall is one of my favorite seasons as I love the vibrant colors and the more comfortable temperatures. It is also a great time to be active so below are some family friendly activities to consider taking part in this fall. If by chance we don’t mention one of your favorites be sure to take a second to share your fall activity idea below so we can all add it to our list of possibilities. (more…)

Imagine you are at a high school football game watching your son play when you see that hit. The one that you know doesn’t look right. His head was down and he drove right into someone, or the one that he went helmet to helmet with an opponent, or even the one where his head bounced off the ground. The next thing you know, the school’s athletic trainer calls you down from the stands to tell you that your son has suffered a concussion.

The topic of concussions is on the rise. Concussions don’t just happen to football players, they can occur in any sport. Knowing some of the signs and symptoms to watch out for and what to do for them is essential to the health of your son or daughter. (more…)

I was recently asked by ESPN’s Sports Medicine Weekly radio show to do an interview related to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune covering the recent increase in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. The article states that over the last decade, some orthopedic groups have seen a 400% increase in torn ACLs and that a huge segment of that growing population is female. In fact,some studies have shown that females can be up to 8 times more likely to tear their ACL than males playing the same sport, so I’d like to focus on that segment of the population. During my time with Dr. Cole and Steve Kashul, we covered some of the reasons why the increase in these injuries is happening, but I’d like to take this opportunity to briefly expand on some of the ideas brought up in the interview. (more…)

We hope you all had fun learning and applying “3D” as it relates to the human body. To quickly review we discussed the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of movement and demonstrated in words/video how each plane worked. (Did any of you take our 3D quiz for a chance to be entered into a raffle for some fun prizes?) As humans, we were meant and designed to move in all these directions; yet, with many modern conveniences and sedentary occupations, we seem to move less and less. Maximizing multi-planar motion will not only help your movement, flexibility, agility, fitness and strength, but it will also train your proprioceptors to better respond if you trip, slip, reach/lift at an awkward angle, or do a quick direction change when playing a recreational or competitive sport, oftentimes significantly lowering your potential injury risk. (more…)

Schools are gearing back up for another school year! The school year starts with lots of energy and positivity, but can also contribute to pain. Teachers are moving rooms, lifting boxes and books, are stooped over the desks of the children, and will be sitting for hours grading papers. Students will be sitting for long periods of time, often in a slumped position and carrying backpacks that weigh as much as they do.  Athletes will return to sports, sometimes after a summer of inactivity, and injuries will start to present themselves. This time of year is busy and there is definitely no time for pain. So…what can you do if pain starts to creep into the back to school season? Utilize Athletico’s complimentary injury screening! (more…)

Every year heat illness affects thousands of people. Knowing the different types of heat illnesses and what to do to both prevent and treat them is imperative to the health and safety of yourself or your child. With the start of school, fall sports such as football are ready to hit the ground running. But are you prepared to beat the heat? (more…)