Friday, March 9 - Jessica Storch, 31, of Downers Grove, has been very active most of her life. Once a competitive boxer, she retired two years ago and started running races. She developed a preference for middle distance events, like 5 and 10ks, a little longer than the sprints she excelled in on her high school track team.

Although conventional New Balance shoes were once her running shoe of choice, she heard about "barefoot" - or minimalist - running shoes and decided to give them a try in the spring of last year. Similar to the light shoes she wore as a boxer, Jessica eased herself into using them by running short distances at first and adding more distance over time. Initially, this method was effective for her.

Jessica had no problem running or competing in the new shoes until several months later when she wore them for the Spartan Race in Chicago. Immediately after the race and over the next few days, she had terrible pain in her foot that made it very difficult to walk. After seeing a chiropractor who diagnosed her with a stress fracture, Jessica decided to seek a specialist.

She contacted George Holmes, Jr., M.D., foot and ankle specialist at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. He diagnosed a stress fracture in her foot, and warned her that the minimalist shoes were the likely cause of her injury. He explained that minimalist shoes do not dissipate the normal ground reaction forces that can be upwards of 2 1/2 times a person's normal body weight. These forces can affect the feet, ankles and knees. With more conventional, cushioned running shoes, these forces can be reduced.

Jessica immediately tossed out her barefoot running shoes and rested her foot. She replaced the minimalist shoes with conventional running shoes and today she is fully healed and back to daily running and competitive races. She is thankful to be enjoying happy feet once again.

To make an appointment with Dr. George Holmes for a foot or ankle condition, please call 312-243-4244.

Thursday, February 2 - 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 - 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).