Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush sports medicine doctor Jeffrey Mjaanes, M.D. has traveled to Cordoba, Argentina with the U.S. U-17 Men's National soccer team. He will be sending updates on the training sessions and games in South America.

Thursday, February 2 9:00 AM - Dr. Mark Cohen discussed prevention of snowboarding wrist injuries in a recent live segment on NBC-5.

This season's snow is well underway and snowboarders can't wait to hit the slopes and make their first tracks of the year. Last winter, approximately 6.1 million snowboarders took to the hills in the US. Since 1983, the number of snowboarders has increased 77 percent, making it the country's fastest growing winter sport.

As the sport continues to gain popularity, so does the number of boarders injured during the exhilarating activity. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, snowboarding is the leading cause of winter sports injuries among people under age 20.

The most common snowboard injury is to the wrist. Each season, physicians treat 100,000 wrist fractures. Wrist injuries are most prevalent among beginning snowboarders, who account for more than half of all snowboard injuries every year, says Dr. Mark Cohen, hand and elbow surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics and Rush.

"We're seeing a rise in wrist injuries because most boarders learn the sport on their own or from friends," says Dr. Cohen. "When they don't seek professional instruction, they don't learn the proper techniques. Instinctively, when you fall, you put your hands out to catch your fall, but falling on an outstretched hand is the worst thing a boarder can do."

Instead, Dr. Cohen recommends falling with hands in a fist position. When falling forward, fall onto the forearms as opposed to hands. During a fall backwards, let the buttocks catch the fall and avoid using your hands to brace yourself. The most important protection against a wrist injury, he says, is using a wrist guard.

"Wrist guards and helmets used to be notoriously uncomfortable and 'uncool,' but the industry is changing," Dr. Cohen explains. "People are becoming much more scientific in the design and fit of the gear, so it's becoming much more acceptable among boarders to wear safety equipment, which is essential to avoid trips to the emergency room."

Research shows the use of protective equipment - helmets, wrist guards and good-fitting bindings - has been associated with a 43 percent decrease in injuries.

The most common reason for falling on a snowboard - especially when just starting out - is due to "catching an edge." This happens when an inexperienced rider is not riding on either toe-side (turning on the toe-side edge of the board, facing the slope) or heel-side (turning on the heel-side edge of the board with your back facing the slope). Instead, the metal edge along either side of the board cuts into the snow unexpectedly.

"In a successful run a rider would be on toe edge, ease off, and then on to heel edge, hence carving down a slope," says Dr. Cohen. "When becoming familiar with the skill of turning and the general techniques of snowboarding, the trick is to not be in limbo between edges. The rider should almost always be on an edge or in the process of committing to an edge, otherwise they'll catch an edge abruptly and - most likely - take a spill."

Dr. Cohen recommends the following tips to avoid wrist injuries this snowboard season:

• Learn fall techniques from an instructor
• When you fall forward, use your arms tucked in your chest to cushion your fall
• When falling background, fall on your buttocks first
• No matter which way you fall, get in the habit of making a fist. Making a fist keeps your fingers from splaying out and your wrists from hyper-extending
• Along with making fists, use your forearms (instead of just your hands) to help keep your wrists from hyper-extending
• Putting your forearms down also helps protect your face from slamming into the snow
• If falling forward, absorbing impact with your knees helps to lessen the force with which you fall
• Typical safety gear consists of wrist guards (a few brands of gloves and mittens have wrist support built in), tailbone pads (a few brands of snow pants come with extra padding in the rear), elbow pads, knee pads and helmets

To make an appointment with Dr. Cohen, please call 312-243-4244.

Tuesday, January 31 10:00 AM - Dr. Krystian Bigosinski discussed prevention of ski and snowboard injuries in a recent live segment on WGN-TV.

As the heart of winter rolls around, it is estimated that 9.9 million people will be hitting the slopes this season. Many will retreat home from the hills with aches and pains, much of which are cured with some rest and anti-inflammatory medication.

Aside from these common aches, skiing and snowboarding both present risk of serious injury. Research indicates about 2.63 skiers per 1,000 skiers will experience injuries, and snowboarders face an injury risk 50 to 70 percent higher than that.

Many of this season's injuries can be prevented with proper equipment and conditioning. Dr. Krystian Bigosinski, sports medicine specialist at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and team physician for the US Ski and Snowboard Team, has treated a variety of ski and snowboard-related injuries.

"I advise anyone planning a ski or snowboard trip to begin exercising six to eight weeks beforehand so their knees and joints are in good condition when they go," Dr. Bigosinski said. "This will not only protect against serious injuries, it will eliminate a lot of the muscle and joint aches typically felt after a day of skiing or snowboarding."

Specifically, Dr. Bigosinski suggests exercises that strengthen hamstrings and the core.

"A strong core will help you maintain your balance, and leg exercises help secure the knees so you can ski longer without getting fatigued," Dr. Bigosinski said. "We see a lot of ski accidents at the end of the day when people are doing their last couple runs. At this point, their leg muscles are fatigued and when they take a fall, those muscles can't protect the knee anymore. Exercising these muscles beforehand will give you much more endurance and lessen the risk of injury."

The most common injuries Dr. Bigosinski sees are concussions, thumb fractures in skiers, wrist fractures in snowboarders, and — accounting for approximately 40 percent of all ski injuries — MCL sprains in the knee. Research shows the use of protective equipment - helmets, wrist guards and good-fitting bindings - has been associated with a 43 percent decrease in injuries.

"Right now, about 60 percent of skiers and snowboarders wear helmets," said Dr. Bigosinski. "We often see parents strapping helmets on their kids but not on themselves. It is crucial parents set good examples for their kids, and also not assume they're invincible to head injuries."

Skier's thumb is a small ligament tear on the inside of the thumb. Dr. Bigosinski recommends using an "over the top" grip in which hands go through the strap first, then reach down over the strap to hold the pole.

In accordance with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Bigosinski recommends the following tips to prevent injuries during skiing and snowboarding:

• Begin exercising 6-8 weeks before heading to the slopes to protect knees and joints
• Exercise hamstrings and core
• Wear protective equipment- wrist guards, helmets, elbow and knee pads- and make sure all bindings fit properly
• Take ski or snowboard lessons to learn safe skiing techniques and the importance of warm-up and cool-down exercises
• Seek advice from an instructor before progressing to more advanced levels of terrain
• Stay hydrated throughout the day to avoid fatigue and dehydration

To make an appointment with Dr. Bigosinski, please call 877-MD-BONES (877-632-6637).

Wednesday, November 23 9:00 AM - So, the game is over and we have headed back to our homes. The U.S. Women's National Team came from behind to earn a 1-1 tie with Sweden in front of a record crowd of 18,482 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The largest crowd to ever watch a Women's National Team game in Arizona saw the USA dominate Sweden in possession and shots but the thrilling encounter ended all square following Tobin Heath's second half goal from a rebound of an Alex Morgan shot.

Team USA played extremely with almost 3 times as many shots on goal as Sweden but unfortunately all but one did not connect, many bouncing off the cross bar or the post. Still, the US kept the pressure up. In the second half, as Sweden began to tire, Alex Morgan substituted in and changed the dynamic of the game. Alex hammered away at the Swedes' goal and eventually passed to Tobin Heath who knocked it in to give the US a tie. This was the third time the US team has faced Sweden this year, having lost both previous matches, but this time was different and the US was happy with the tie (although, obviously, not as happy as we would have been with a win...).

The trip was a great experience. I have so much admiration for these incredible women. I hope to witness a great journey this winter as they fight for a place at the London Summer Olympic Games!

Friday, November 18 12:00 AM - Today, training. Tomorrow, match. Writing from Phoenix where its a perfect 76 degrees and sunny. The US Women's National Soccer Team is getting ready for tomorrow's match against Sweden. Today we went to the match site, the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, home to the Arizona Cardinals. (Very cool stadium, grass field actually rolls out of stadium to get natural sunlight, then rolls back in! Also retractable roof, huge new locker rooms... Great arena!).

Team is feeling good, practicing hard. Tomorrow's match will be tough - not only is Sweden one of the top teams in the world, but US Head Coach, Pia Sundhage, is a native Swede so the media hype increases as game time approaches. Should be a fantastic match though!

Be sure to follow the team, and the match (streamed live) at ussoccer.com. More tomorrow, game day, from Phoenix.

Wednesday, May 18 12:00 AM - As Luol shot the 3 beyond the half court line to end the first half, the UC erupted! We trailed by only 2 at the half, and the team was ready to come back strong in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Unfortunately our shooting was not where it should be, and Derrick was having a difficult time getting into the paint with D. Wade and LeBron playing strong. It was also a very physical game, but aside from a minor cut on Asiks chin in the 4th quarter, there were no injuries, and we will go on to game 3 strong and injury free.

Once again the team will not focus on the loss but learn from it and look toward Sunday when we travel to Miami for game 3.

Sunday, May 15 10:00 AM - Tonight was a great game. The team kept their focus through a tight first half, but in the second half the Bulls' defense simply outplayed the Heat. Luol and Derrick had amazing games, and Noah was back to the aggressive defense that we've grown to expect from him, but it was Taj's dunk on Dwayne Wade that ignited the UC. The energy tonight was the highest I've seen in seven seasons with the team.

We now prepare for game 2 on Wednesday. It was an important win but all agree that it's the first of the series. We're glad to go into game 2 with a very healthy team.

GO RED!

Thursday, May 12 10:00 AM - The training room is buzzing with pre-game anticipation. Bogans is requesting a birthday "W". The team is ready!

Brian and I have enjoyed the Southern hospitality and our time here in Atlanta, but we are ready to leave this town in the dust.

LET'S GO BULLS!

Thursday, May 12 12:00 AM - Up 17. Section 114 is like a winning craps table! Kathy and I are making lots of friends! Hoping to be done 'til Sunday.