Athletico Health Resources

Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger, Ryan Mertz, PT, DPT, CSCS. Ryan is also the Team Physical Therapist for the Chicago Cubs.

Much has remained constant in the game of professional baseball over the last 100 years, such as the distance from the pitching rubber to the plate, but significantly more has changed. Players are bigger, faster and stronger. Spectators know the speed and break of every pitch and that a ballpark hotdog costs an arm and a leg. With the progression of the game through technology, research and physical development standards, much of the lessons learned at the pro level have now trickled down into amateur baseball. (more…)

With pitchers and catchers reporting for duty, people cramming in marathon gym sessions before spring break, and warm weather making people more active, I can guarantee the number of people seeing doctors, athletic trainers, and physical therapists for shoulder pain will soon rise. Luckily, one cause of shoulder pain, shoulder impingement, is often avoidable with some reasonable preventive strategies. (more…)

The official start to the Chicago running season with the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle is right around the corner. With the frigid temperatures and abundant snowfall that Chicago has endured this winter, you may have logged in fewer miles these past few months outside than in previous winters. Warmer temperatures are predicted for later this week and spring is right around the corner and we encourage you to consider these tips to safely transition from the treadmill to outdoor running. (more…)

We all know exercise is a big component to better health. So, how do we get more people up and moving while having fun at the same time? The answer is rebounding, or in simple terms bouncing on a mini trampoline. Not only is rebounding healthy for you, it’s appropriate for all ages from toddlers to grandparents. When exercise is disguised as something fun or playful, it becomes more likely that it will be done regularly, willingly, and for the long term. (more…)

With the winter Olympics underway and all the amazing sporting events taking place, this is the perfect opportunity to provide our readers some coverage around the sport of skiing. Recently, I interviewed Jessica Bratko, who has been with Athletico for over six years and is currently an Athletic Trainer at Glenbard South High school. Jessica has an amazing base of knowledge around skiing since she grew up in the Northeast. As a native of Vermont, she grew up surrounded by a variety of different sports including hockey and skiing. She was a hockey player growing up, but being engrossed in the Vermont culture and having attended the University of Vermont, she fell in love with skiing as well. (more…)

Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger, Steven Bagus, ATC, NASM-PES. Steven is currently the Assistant Athletic Trainer with the Chicago Fire and also had the opportunity to travel with USA Hockey in November 2013. (more…)

Today’s post was co-authored by Joey Brutzkus, ATC – intern with the Chicago Bears in 2010

Keeping players healthy in the NFL is tough enough under normal circumstances, but the distractions and change of venue for the Super Bowl can make that an even bigger challenge. Luckily, athletic trainers are used to working in foreign environments under quickly changing conditions. (more…)

Cheerleading takes athleticism. The sport necessitates strength, flexibility, endurance, and dedication.  Injury is a risk in any sport. However, several methods of prevention can be implemented to assist in avoiding injury. Below is a list of 10 ways a cheerleading related injury may be prevented. (more…)