As a parent of a young athlete, like me, I often get asked the following questions about youth hydration: How much should my child be drinking? When should they be drinking? What should they be drinking? Why are children more prone to heat illness and how do we prevent it? What happens in the winter when it’s cooler? The youth sports programs don’t typically have nutritionists on staff guiding and educating the athletes or parents, so it’s time to put [...]
Does your desk fit you? Poor workstation ergonomics are often identified as a significant factor associated with people experiencing neck pain, low back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. The study of ergonomics has provided a great deal of knowledge for adapting work strategies and computer workstations to decrease stress on a person’s body. The problem is that these strategies are often ignored until after a costly problem has already begun. The Three Major Risk Factors For Injury Described By The [...]
Dr. Melissa Baudo Marchetti, PT, DPT, SCS, MTC Whether you are a dancer, high-heel wearer, runner, or athlete who wears cleats, we all put a lot of pressure on our toes and the arches of our feet. Here are four tips to healthier feet. We’re certainly guilty of cramming our feet into countless pairs of cute-but-cramped pointed toe shoes. Toe stretching may be the answer. There are benefits of spacing out those ten little piggies. Toe stretching goes beyond simply [...]
By: Melissa Baudo Marchetti, PT, DPT, SCS, MTC Calling all runners! The Peachtree Road Race is just two months away. So, if you are running in pain right now, help is just a phone call away. Studies show that up to 90% of runners will experience injury at some point during their running tenure and as low as 20% actually seek medical care--this does not have to be the case! Runners commonly experience low back, hip, knee and foot [...]
"Strength training" has come to be synonymous with Crossfit, powerlifting and Olympic lifting, which can be highly intimidating to those of us who are wanting to stay healthy, but have no prior experience in the previous matters. However, functional strength training is vital for injury prevention, despite fitness level, and can be scaled for everyone. Our bodies are pretty incredible. Without our conscious thought they coordinate our movements, fight infections, regulate our heart beat and temperature, and digest food amongst [...]
Injury Prevention for Tennis Players By Melissa Baudo Marchetti, PT, DPT, SCS, MTC It’s that time of year again…welcome back Spring ALTA tennis players! The weather is getting nicer out…perfect for tennis! We want you to be prepared this tennis season and minimize those pesky injuries, aches, and pains. Injuries to the lower leg, elbow, back and hips are common in tennis due to the high demand of the sport and the repetitive, quick movements required. You can reduce your [...]
Is sports specialization helping kids get better at sports and keeping them healthy? Sports participation in younger athletes has evolved over the years from child-driven activities for fun to intense training, performance-enhancement, and specialized training. This changing environment has left parents, young athletes, and coaches wondering and needing guidance on what is the most appropriate path of athlete development. Until recently, there has been very little published evidence to support any particular path or to outline any specific risks of [...]
A recent National Institutes of Health study determined that nearly 50 million American adults have chronic pain and nearly half of those are reported to have severe pain. Our society and culture has provided many of us with many wonderful amenities of life, but at the same time, it has created a wide array of stressors and unhealthy activities. This can make it difficult to find balance in mind and body. Often, these imbalances can contribute to causing chronic pain, [...]
Let me begin with explaining why I do this, why I’m a Massage Therapist. I’ve been a pretty active person most of my life—running, martial arts, weight training—so I’ve had my share of injuries, aches and pains. In my 20’s, I experienced my first massage session with an elderly lady that had the ability to find the root of my issues. I found this to be remarkable because the root was not necessarily where the pain was. Over the next [...]
You’ve been there before. After hitting the snooze button a few times, you finally decide that you are ready to take on the day. You stretch out, toss the covers off and hop out of bed. You go to take that first step and “BAM!” - you fall to the ground in pain. “Why in the world does my foot hurt so bad? Did I run a marathon in my sleep?” After hobbling around for a while, the pain decreases [...]
