Athletico Health Resources

Childhood obesity is a rising epidemic and a valid concern for many parents.  With the surge in all things electronic from televisions, computers, video games, and hand held devices, we have populations of children being sedentary rather than up, moving, playing, and active.   As the economy puts stress on single, as well as two-parent, households the trend in meals has been on things fast, easy, and affordable which unfortunately does not often equate to healthy or nutrient dense.  Here are some eye opening facts on childhood obesity taken directly from an article by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (more…)

In my last post on ACL injuries, I posted that overtraining can predispose someone to an ACL injury. Overtraining (spending too much time training without proper recovery) can have some serious health consequences. Overtraining is becoming an increasingly common problem as athletes are starting to specialize in one sport at younger ages. Discussing solutions to overtraining and specialization is always tough since it usually involves telling someone to play less of the sport they want to excel at. Having said that, research and anecdotal evidence both make a strong case for how varying up the sports you play through the year can lead to a healthier and more successful athletic career. (more…)

As a new year begins, have you begun to revise your personal goals or New Year’s resolutions for 2014? A top choice for many people usually includes something to do with exercise, health, fitness, or sports. As a physical therapist, I am fully on board when individuals, friends, families, players, coworkers, or teams want to get up and get moving. However, before you start that ramped up exercise program, fitness routine, physically demanding occupation, or competitive sport, make sure your movement is up to par for your activity. I’m sure “going to physical therapy” is not on your short list of 2014 goals.  An excellent way to accomplish this is to get yourself, your workplace, or your team a Functional Movement Screen™. (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…)

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…)

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…)

The Athletic Training Program has been a cornerstone for Athletico Physical Therapy since Mark Kaufman founded the company 22 years ago. Affiliations now include all of the major professional teams in Chicago, as well as thirteen colleges, seventy nine high schools, the US Soccer Federation and multiple elite affiliates. The most senior of Athletico’s 200+ athletic trainers (ATs) is Tony Garofalo, ATC, who has 43 years of experience including his service as the Chicago Cubs Head Athletic Trainer from 1977 though 1986. During his illustrious career Tony has worked in the high school, college, professional, elite, and clinical settings and is a member of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA), St. Benedict University, and St. Louis University Halls of Fame.  He is also a founding partner of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS). We caught up with Tony and asked him about the highlights of his career. (more…)