Symptoms

• Swelling, warmth & redness in the back of your lower leg
• Pain in back of ankle two inches above the heel
• Noticeable pain after stretching the calves

Prevention

Achilles tendonitis can be cause by overuse from long distance running, excessive rolling of the foot inward, flat feet, and tight calf muscles. Here are some ways to avoid it.

Exercise
︎︎︎︎

Heel lifts and calf stretches will prevent most occurrences of Achilles Tendonitis.

Rest
︎︎︎︎︎

It’s important to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. If you are feeling sluggish in the daytime, a 20 minute nap will give you just enough rest without releasing melatonin into your system and making you drowsy.

Proper footwear
︎︎︎︎

Athletic shoes with at least a one inch heel keep the feet sufficiently elevated to prevent injury. This is essential for weight training and running.

Magnesium
︎︎︎︎

More than 300 of the body’s enzymes require magnesium to drive catalytic action, especially ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, the “molecular unit of currency” of intracellular energy transfer. Translation: this essential mineral should be in the utility belt of any would-be athlete. Eat green, leafy vegetables, or take it in supplement form to prevent neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and metabolic dysfunction.

Reduce or quit nightshades
︎

Numerous studies have proven the value of eating tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes as part of a balanced meal, but eating too many can cause inflammation and bone spurs, which can cause Achilles Tendonitis.

Recovery

Once you get it, it’s important to know how to prevent it from happening again, so if you have achilles tendonitis and skipped to this section, check out the steps for prevention above. If this is the first day of the injury, go get some ice for your heel, we’ll wait.

Night splint
︎︎︎

These handy splints stretch the tendons and ligaments in the foot, ankle, and calve as you sleep. Overnight pronation prevents that soreness you may feel as soon as you get out of bed, but it’s also been show to reduce inflammation, keeping the condition from worsening. This is a great supplemental option to good shoes with proper exercise and diet.

Trigger point therapy
︎︎︎

Place your calf over your knee and push it into the knee. You will feel tender spots that can be rubbed out. Once you’ve located and addressed as many points as your knee can target, put both thumbs together and push them into the tender spots and massage the sore points.

Massage the lesion
︎︎︎

Locate the lesion, which will be on the side of tendon. Pinch both sides of the tendon, right above the heel, and apply pressure. Begin massaging the region. After 5-10 minutes, you should feel the scar tissue realigning with the tendon. It may go numb, or even feel good. If it starts hurting too much, stop and ice it.

Stretch
︎︎︎

Stretch by straightening your leg and using a belt to pull the foot toward you. Don’t stretch for more than 30 seconds at a time. Secondly, push against a wall with your injured foot extended and your other leg bent at the knee. For best results, do this in tandem with other techniques.

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The post Running Injury Treatment & Prevention: Achilles Tendinitis appeared first on AT Surgical.

We’re going to start with plantar fasciitis, but check out the whole series here.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of tendons and ligaments between your heels and toes. Pain is most commonly experienced along the arch and in the heel itself. It’s caused by standing for long periods of time, high or low arches, old shoes, and footfall techniques when running.

Prevention

Keep mileage increases to less than 10 percent per week
︎︎︎︎︎

It’s always a good idea to train incrementally to prevent all manner of injuries. Letting your body adjust to gains will keep you in the game month after month. This one’s a keeper.

Wear the proper shoes for your foot type and gait
︎︎︎

Getting the right shoes for running is essential to consistent training. It’s good practice to occasionally check your soles and make sure both feet are getting the right support. You can always compensate with various types of inserts. Plantar fasciitis is commonly caused by shoes that have seen better days.

Run barefoot on grass and trails 2-3 days a week
︎

It’s not always possible to run exclusively on soft surfaces unless you live near a park or a field. If you’re one the few who can, count yourself lucky and spend some time running on terrain we spent millions of years evolving to run on.

Recovery

Regular arch stretching & massage
︎︎︎

Sitting in a chair, brace your left ankle on your right kneeThis simple technique should be practiced first thing in the morning, then repeated three times over the day on both feet.

1. Pull your toes back to your shin until you feel a stretch in your arch
2. Run your thumb along your foot until you locate the source of tension
3. Hold for 10 seconds
4. Switch to the other foot and repeat

Stop running during the acute phase of the injury
︎︎︎

The typical acute phase for plantar fasciitis lasts 3-7 days. It is essential to recovery to take a break from running for a few days after getting plantar fasciitis.

Ice the injury three times a day
︎

Ice for 20 minutes, leave it be for twenty minutes, then ice it again, three times per day. That’s three hour-long blocks you will have to spend stationary… That’s not exactly convenient! Add to that the fact that for optimal results it’s suggested you dunk your foot in a bucket of ice water and we are feeling seriously put out. That said, you should definitely ice it after injuries.

Rub the afflicted region with an ice cube
︎︎

This one’s a pretty good tip because it ices the injury and massages it at the same time, and unlike the previous technique, this one covers multiple issues at the same time. We’d love to hear about any reader’s experiences with this one, so leave some feedback in the comments if you try it out.

Foam rolling
︎︎︎

These things are indispensable for runners. Roll your feet, targeting the regions that make a crunchy sound and feel, as this is scar tissue being broken up. For optimal results, target the soleus and calf muscles as well.

Prevention & Recovery

Compression
︎︎︎

Compression supports the tendons around the Achilles that, when damaged, lead to Achilles tendonitis. For recovery, nothing gets the job done like an Achilles Protector Sleeve. While they are ideal for compression, a less costly solution than getting two protector sleeves would be a pair of athletic compression socks.

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The post Running Injury Treatment & Prevention: Plantar Fasciitis appeared first on AT Surgical.

Core Twists

Begin by taking a resistance band or a small dumb weight and stand with your arms at shoulder length feet apart. If using a resistance band your foot should be firmly planted on the band to keep it from slipping into you.

Next, take your body and twist it in the opposite direction from where you’re standing on the band. You should feel your core engaging. Continue this for 10 to 15 reps, and then switch sides!

This exercise works by using the muscles in your core, which help support your power back. When your core is strong, your lower back is more supported and the weight of your child is balanced out.

Deadlift to Curl

Your feet should begin stride length apart from each other, one side in front of the other. You’ll want to have a low-weight dumbbell in each hand.

Lean forward and engage your core, with the dumbbells at your side. From here, you’ll want to slowly lift your upper body up while turning the dumbbells into your body. Continue this for five to ten reps then switch sides.

Triangle Pose

This position uses the techniques of yoga to help you stretch your body. Begin by takin your feet and putting them a strides length away from each other. Reach out with your arms in each direction.

Next cross your left arm over your right side and stretch. Keep your head level and looking up toward the ceiling, and make sure your arms are a straight as possible.

Come back up and cross in the opposite direction. Do this five or six times holding in each position for a while. This will help elongate your body and keep your back relieved of tension.

Let us know how these exercises help, and send us some hints and tips from your own exercise routine! We’d love to hear about them. In the meantime, check out our store for pregnancy support belts that help manually alleviate pain and support your belly when carrying.

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The post Exercises for Back Ache in Pregnant Mothers appeared first on AT Surgical.

Q: Where did it come from?
A: Zika Forest

In 1947 in Uganda, a virus spread by day active mosquitos was first isolated in the Zika Forest of Uganda. Named the Zika Virus, this relative to dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile was limited to a narrow band of land on the equator until 2007, when it crossed the Pacific Ocean and created an epidemic in 2015-2016.

Q: What are the symptoms of the Zika virus?
A: Symptoms may include fever, pain, fatigue, & chills

The illness caused by the Zika virus is called Zika fever. As is often the case, symptoms are mild to non-existent. Symptoms last for about a week and include fever, red eyes, joint pain, headache, and rash, and as of this writing there are no deaths caused by the virus. However, infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other brain malformations during the development of the fetus that have lifelong consequences for the baby.

Q: What is a Zika baby?
A: A child who suffers from Congenital Zika Syndrome

This throwaway term refers to the birth defects caused by Zika fever during pregnancy. Learn more about Congenital Zika syndrome here.

Q: What are the treatment options for Zika virus?
A: Rest & Fluids

There are no vaccines or cures for Zika fever. Recovery is a matter of getting plenty of rest, pushing fluids, and treating the symptoms. Do not treat with medication before talking to your doctor. Reduce fever and pain with acetaminophen, do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs until Dengue is ruled out.

Q: What areas are affected by the Zika virus?
A: Any area with day-active mosquitos on or near the equator, for now

This is the current distribution:

However, thanks to the effects of global warming, any area on the map below could become effected with the rise of a few degrees in temperature:

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The post Zika Virus FAQ: Symptoms & More appeared first on AT Surgical.

The most important process to follow after a sprained ankle is RICE. It goes as follows:

R: Rest

The most important action to take after a sprained ankle, is none at all.
Allow your body to have time to heal, and not make the condition even worse than it is.
Try to stay off your ankle as much as possible.

I: Ice

A huge concern after an ankle sprain is swelling.
This can cause acute pain and worsen the sprained ankle situation.
Keeping swelling down is crucial for sprained ankle support.

C: Compression

Keeping the ankle compressed will also help with swelling, as well as supporting the ligaments.
Try our compression wraps or braces.

E: Elevation

After spraining your ankle, keeping it elevated for 2 to 3 days will reduce bruising and swelling.

Following these steps after spraining an ankle will get you started out on the right foot for recovery.. After rest and relaxation most sprains heal on their own. Keeping pain down with a mild over the counter pain reliever might be necessary.

If you’re experiencing extreme pain, heard a pop sound when you sprained your ankle, or see extreme bruising and swelling – visit your doctor. For extreme cases of sprained ankles or torn ligaments surgery will be a possibility.

The most important part of sprained ankle support, is having patience. Your body will naturally heal itself, but giving it time to rest, relax, and do it’s job is crucial.

Need a bandage for your sprain or strain? Get one here.

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The post RICE: The Perfect Recipe for Sprained Ankle Support appeared first on AT Surgical.

How to Wrap a Sprained Wrist

Step 1:

Hold the edge of the bandage between your thumb and forefinger and let the excess drape past your open hand

Step 2:

Hold the excess bandage and wrap at an angle across the back of your hand and twice around your wrist
Keep this first wrap as taut as possible to make step 3 easier

Step 3:

Bring the roll up to the starting position and release the end from your thumb and forefinger as you wrap it around your hand

Step 4:

Alternate wrapping between your hand and wrist until it feels suitably compressed and trim the excess bandage

Step 5:

If you have an adhesive bandage you’re done! If not, use the accompanying clips to fasten it securely

Should the worst come to pass, it’s always nice to have a self-adhesive wrist bandage, or latex-free bandages in the medicine cabinet. We even sell clips for bandage owners in need.

Learn how to use RICE to reduce swelling and pain in strains & sprains

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The post An Illustrated Guide to Wrapping a Sprained Wrist appeared first on AT Surgical.