5 Common Mistakes Made by Overhead Athletes
It’s baseball and softball season and that means three things to me as an athletic trainer: hot dogs, bleachers and shoulder pain. While all three of those cause discomfort in their own way, I find shoulder pain to be the most pertinent to be addressed by my skill set. I’ve found that a majority of shoulder pain stems from a few of the following avoidable mistakes made by overhead athletes. (more…)
Hip Flexor Tightness in Distance Runners
Now that spring is here and it is beautiful outside, a lot of runners really begin to build their mileage. When this happens, I usually start to see a lot of hip flexor pain and tightness. This problem is really common in distance runners. Tight hip flexors are a major cause of many posture problems. In runners, it is mainly caused by repetitive use and weak glutes. In people who sit a lot, well, it is caused by sitting a lot. This posting covers what to do if you are running a lot. (more…)
The 5 Top Stretches to Minimize Back Pain
Stretching of the joints, muscles, and nerves are very important to ensure that there are no imbalances throughout the musculoskeletal system. Decreased flexibility in any of these areas may lead to lower back pain. Not all of these stretches may be appropriate for everyone. A stretch should not induce painful symptoms. Rather, a stretch should feel relieving to the lower back and may even help to reduce any symptoms. Our five top stretches to minimize back pain: (more…)
Athletic Trainers: Beyond Tape and Ice
For many, the term ‘athletic trainer’ brings about the image of a polo and khakis clad person standing on the sidelines taping ankles, stretching players, or evaluating injuries. While these ideas may be accurate, there is a lot more to the profession than that. As healthcare professionals, athletic trainers are well-versed in the evaluation and treatment of a wide range of injuries, conditions, and issues. This can encompass everything from a sprained ankle to cardiac arrest to an emotional problem. Here are 5 things you may not have known about athletic trainers. (more…)
Tips to Avoid Overuse Injuries
New Year’s resolutions to become more active are great. I hope everyone who made a resolution to be fit is starting to see a difference. That said, if someone has been pretty sedentary, and he or she jumps into a new fitness program too quickly, overuse injuries can occur. Understanding how to pace yourself while getting fit is key. (more…)
Maintaining Healthy Bones as We Age
Our bones continually change throughout our life. Bone is a living, growing tissue, so new bone will be produced to replace the bone that is lost. We can maintain a healthy bone mass when our body can produce the same amount of bone that was removed. When our body fails to keep up with the bone that is being lost, we will have an overall lower bone mass. A lower bone mass may easily lead to fractures, difficulty walking, and an overall lower quality of life. (more…)
The Off-Season: The Benefits of Taking Time Off
The off-season. For some teams, it seems to come too quickly too often. While this may have somewhat negative connotation for fans, for athletes the off-season is a necessary part of the training cycle. With year-round sports and athletics becoming more prevalent, the incidences of injuries due to overuse are increasing, especially in youth athletics. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with specializing in one sport year-round, it does present a problem when there is no time taken to let the body properly recover. (more…)
Prevent Falling Outdoors in the Winter
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…)
