Athletico Health Resources

Running season has arrived and a lot of you wanted to hit the ground running, but instead, you hit the ground hurting…hurting on the outside of your knee. If that’s the case, you could have iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) or IT band syndrome for short. IT band syndrome is an overuse injury that is common in endurance athletes like runners and bikers. It affects a tissue that runs from the side of your hip all of the way down past your knee. Most of the time, the inflammation manifests itself as pain on the outside of the knee. It can be incredibly painful and is typically a frustratingly stubborn injury to deal with.
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* Editor’s Note: For the past 5 years, Athletico has supported and participated in a week-long medical brigade in Honduras through Global Brigades. Athletico volunteers have helped in supportive roles such as interpreting, running the pharmacy, triage, dental staffing, and this year, formal physical and occupational therapy. Over 600 patients were seen this year by Athletico volunteers, physicians, nurses, dentists, and other volunteers. This special entry is written by Athletico physical therapist Sarah Holt, who shares with us her experience as a volunteer with this year’s brigade. (more…)

Plantar fasciitis can be a real pain in the foot. Plantar fasciitis is the medical term for inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. If you’ve ever had pain in the bottom of your foot with the first few steps out of bed in the morning, you’ve probably had some experience with this painful condition. (more…)

Spring in Chicago came early this year, and with that many recreational runners took advantage of the weather and returned to running after several months of inactivity or running indoors. Also, many of these runners in their excitement did not progress slowly back into the activity and thus were more susceptible to injuries, including patellofemoral syndrome, which is often referred to as “runner’s knee.” (more…)

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…)

Have you ever woken up and felt dizzy? Did you feel like the room was spinning? Chances are, you thought something was seriously wrong and possibly went to the ER. Once all the medical tests were done and it was cleared that you were not having a stroke, you may have been given an anti-vertigo medication and sent home. What many people do not know is that this condition is something that could easily be treated without medication and can be cleared in as little as one session with a physical therapist. I am talking about positional vertigo, one of the most common reasons that people visit their primary doctor. (more…)

Are you pregnant and having difficulty rolling in bed, getting in and out of your car, climbing stairs, or walking due to pelvic pain? You may be suffering from a common condition called symphysis pubis dysfunction. The pubic symphysis is located at the front of the pelvis where the two sides of the pelvis meet. This is typically a fairly stable joint, but changes in the hormones during pregnancy relax the ligaments and allow for increased movement, which can result in misalignment and more importantly pain. Pubic symphysis dysfunction is thought to affect up to 1 in 4 women during pregnancy. It can range in severity from mild discomfort during daily activities to inability to bear weight on the legs. (more…)

As a massage therapist, I have worked with a lot of clients over the years with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstood and frustrating medical conditions out there today. Many people who suffer from this chronic disease have been misdiagnosed multiple times before someone figures out why they have so much pain. (more…)