ACTIVE CARE

If you’re sitting down and reading this, your lower back might be hurting.  Want to fix the problem?  Stand up and keep reading. First the bad news, if you haven’t experienced back pain, chances are you will.  Back pain is very prevalent and studies show that 65% of the population will experience back pain at... Read More »

The milk industry has become well known for its “Got Milk?” advertisements that feature famous athletes with a characteristic “milk mustache.”  The calcium and Vitamin D found in milk is thought to help strengthen the bones of those that exercise (also the bones of those that don’t).  However, recent research suggests that the bones of... Read More »

At some point we all become weekend warriors.  The weight of work schedules, commuting, carpools and travel become increasingly difficult to manage.  Exercise becomes relegated to early mornings or quick gym workouts that don’t have the regularity of those carefree and time-filled days of yesterday. Other than making it harder to justify that extra piece... Read More »

The Forgotten Muscle If you pick-up any popular running or cycling magazine that includes exercise medicine you will surely see kneecap pain as a common topic.  Knee problems, particularly kneecap or patellofemoral pain, are the most common injuries among those that exercise.  But for all the experts and carefully designed research on the subject, the... Read More »

The Internet is a powerful tool and anyone with a connection and a device (i.e. everybody) can dial into an almost unlimited stream of information.  But with the flood of testimonials, Yelp pages and blogs it can be difficult to determine fact from fiction.  The continually evolving field of medicine can accentuate the difficulty as... Read More »

Many view the Stairmaster in the same light as Wham, parachute pants and break-dancing, relics of the 80’s that are best left as memories.  While it is true that parachute pants shouldn’t be resurrected, the Stairmaster should still be considered an exercise that stands the test of time and technology.  The problem is, everyone in... Read More »

The fitness world is always eager to embrace the latest fitness trend.  Tae-Bo once swept the nation, Cross-Fit gyms are to numerous to count and many were seen tottering down the street in MBT African tribe inspired shoes that promised to eliminate sore knees and backs.  The only thing that surpassed the fervor over which... Read More »

Stretching has long been known to improve muscular flexibility and joint range of motion and is considered an integral part of any fitness routine. Gym teachers and coaches have taught us that stretching before exercise keeps us injury-free and performing at our best.  But does it? The usefulness of stretching immediately before exercise has become a much-debated... Read More »

When the New York Yankees recently announced the news that Alex Rodriguez, All-Star third baseman and owner of the largest yearly salary in all of baseball, would undergo hip surgery for the second time in 5 years, it highlighted the evolving awareness and concern over injuries involving the hip joint.  The surgery, performed in January, will likely keep Rodriguez... Read More »

Overuse injuries are not just for adults.  With 30 million kids participating in organized youth sports every year, athletics have become the number one cause of injury among adolescents.  Those that participate in organized sports frequently play in a year-round format that allows little time for recovery and may encourage the development of overuse or... Read More »