Athletico Health Resources

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…)

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…)

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…)

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…)

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 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…)

It is that time of year again, the cold is creeping in and the holidays are upon us. The holidays are such a joyous time of year, but they can also be stressful and a time when people over-do themselves. With all the demands of shopping for food and gifts, hanging decorations around the house, making meals and hosting parties, many people find themselves with more aches and fatigue in their muscles. Here are some tips for minimizing the aches and pains that can occur during the holidays. (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…)