Athletico Health Resources

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…)

The thumb: It has allowed humans to develop into the most dominant species on the planet. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Mona Lisa, the Seven Wonders of the World, or quarterbacks that can complete a pass while scrambling out of the pocket when their protection breaks down. You can see just how important the “lone wolf of the hand” is in life and sports, and when Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was sidelined by a thumb injury, I started getting a lot of questions about thumb injuries in athletics. They’re fairly common in sports since the thumb is separate from the other fingers, exposing it to some unique injuries. Lucky for you, my background allows me to explain what a couple of the more common injuries are. (more…)

As women’s involvement in athletic activity has increased dramatically in the last few decades, so has the incidence of female athlete triad. The incidence of female athlete triad is not well documented but studies have reported that anywhere from 15%-62% of female college athletes are affected. Female athlete triad is a syndrome comprised of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis or decreased bone mineral density. (more…)

Ankle sprains are generally regarded as the most common sports-related injury and are, consequently, the #1 reason for lost time in athletics. In fact, it’s estimated that 1 in 17 high school athletes will suffer an ankle sprain per season. Yikes! Those are better odds than a lot of games in Vegas. As an athletic trainer, injury prevention is my top priority, so I’ve come up with a list of 5 ways to reduce your chance of experiencing (or re-experiencing) an ankle sprain. (more…)

Sigh… We knew it couldn’t last forever. Although it’s been pretty mild so far, we know what’s next. Fall is here, and winter’s coming.

It’s easy to think that the cold and the puffy clothes we wear are a good excuse to hit the buffet a little harder and to lower the fitness goals. However, there are a lot of great ways to stay fit and have fun during the winter months. Even if you don’t join an organized activity, get outside for some fresh air and natural vitamin D.  This blog post is dedicated to tips on how to exercise safely and comfortably throughout the winter. (more…)

When an athlete is injured, a doctor will often prescribe a round of physical therapy to help facilitate the healing process. As an athletic trainer (AT), I’m often asked by parents why a student-athlete can’t just do their therapy with me in the athletic training room instead of going off-site to a clinic for formal physical therapy. The truth is that as an athletic trainer, I’m a part of a healthcare team, and like any other team, I feel that each member plays a role that maximizes their potential. Personally, and dependant on the nature of the injury, if I want my athlete to get the highest quality of care, I’m going to set them up with formal physical therapy with a physical therapist (PT). (more…)

Are you a “weekend warrior” who performs little to no exercise during the week and then tries to make up for it on the weekend? If you are, you are not alone.  As we get older and have more responsibilities with work and family, exercise sometimes takes a backseat.  We have good intentions and want to continue exercising because of the obvious health benefits but we don’t have the time, motivation, or energy during the work week.  As a result, we become weekend warriors.  This is a particularly problematic pattern of exercise because in many cases we do not maintain the physical activity level necessary to participate in our sport or activity and therefore open ourselves up to injury. (more…)