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IBJI Announces Partnership with Health iPASS

CHICAGO, IL (September 18, 2018) With over 100 physicians covering all orthopedic specialties spread across 20 locations in the Chicago and northwest suburbs, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (IBJI) is one of the largest orthopedic group practices in the country. IBJI offers a full range of musculoskeletal care including advanced MRI imaging, pain management care, non-surgical and surgical treatment plans, rheumatology, rehabilitation, wellness and sports training. OrthoAccess walk-in clinics provide same day immediate care. Due to the rapid growth of high deductible healthcare plans (HDHPs) and the resultant changing healthcare payer mix, IBJI realized it was time to partner with with a patient revenue cycle expert to streamline front and back office workflows and provide a more modern patient experience.  After [...]

2018-09-26T10:04:12+00:00September 26th, 2018|IBJI News Room|
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How To Do the Perfect Plank

Techniques to Increase Core Stability: The Plank By Emily Sluis, PT, DPT, ATC Core stability and core strength are terms that are often used interchangeably when speaking about training the trunk musculature, whether in a rehab or performance setting. Training for these two disciplines is actually very different. Training for core stability requires resisting motion at the lumbar spine, while training for core strength allows for motions to occur through the lumbar spine in an attempt to work the abdominal musculature (often in an isolated fashion). We discussed in previous newsletters that the plank, which is a core stability exercise, is a superior exercise to the popularized crunch exercise, which is a core strengthening exercise. Now that we have [...]

2018-09-24T15:18:43+00:00September 24th, 2018|Orthopedics Care|
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How to Properly Cut an Avocado Without Getting Hurt

Have you heard about accidents people are having while cutting avocados? Cutting an avocado requires a thoughtful approach if you want to avoid injury. Recently, Dr. Leon Benson, an Illinois Bone & Joint Institute hand and upper extremity surgeon, appeared on the local Fox 32 affiliate to discuss how to properly cut an avocado. Secure Cutting Board from Slipping First, you’ll need to stabilize your cutting board to prevent it from sliding around on your smooth countertop. It can sometimes help to place a dish towel underneath it to keep it in place. Some people dampen the towel first and then wring out the extra water, the goal here is to get the towel to grab the surface. Thin towels [...]

2018-08-21T16:47:33+00:00August 21st, 2018|IBJI in the News, Pain Management|
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The Complete Guide to ACL Tears

The ACL – what is it and how is it repaired? Below, you will find a comprehensive guide detailing the specifics of ACL tears – how to identify a potential ACL injury, proper treatment, and recommended rehabilitation of the overall knee joint. What Does the ACL Do? The ACL, or Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is vital to knee stabilization. This strong band of tissue located in the center of the knee and it connects the femur to the tibia, and is responsible for helping you run, jump, walk and play. A ligament tear can significantly impact your everyday life, so if there is suspicion of a tear, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible so that a physician can [...]

2018-08-15T16:41:49+00:00August 15th, 2018|Orthopedics Care, Pain Management|
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Strength Training for Endurance Athletes: By Emily Sluis, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS

Despite the advancements in our understanding of the role strength training plays in the development and performance of endurance athletes, there are still some myths about the best way to approach improving running-specific strength. Like most longstanding myths, the misunderstandings about strength training come from outdated information that has been passed down throughout the years. One common misconception amongst endurance athletes is that resistance training will cause increased weight gain, resulting in a decrease in running performance. Running - and the optimal balance of volume, intensity, and pace-specific work - will always be the primary focus of a distance runner's training program. Strength training, however, presents a different physiological stimulus, one that includes a host of distinct benefits that running [...]

2018-08-21T13:53:16+00:00August 13th, 2018|Sports Medicine|
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Calf Strengthening for Triathletes

Calf musculature (gastrocnemius and soleus) is responsible for the majority of propulsion and support during the stance phase of the gait cycle (Source 1). Additionally, injuries to the lower limb make up the bulk of all injuries in triathletes during both preseason and competition season (Source 2). Therefore, from both a performance and injury prevention standpoint, it is important that triathletes target this muscle group in their training. In endurance athletes, most injury is the result of training error. Usually, inadequate rest and training above the recommended workload lead to injury. To combat this, implementation of strength training is vital in increasing muscular capacity and training workload. The most effective method in targeting the calf muscles is the simple heel [...]

2018-08-21T13:55:05+00:00August 13th, 2018|Podiatry|
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Promoting Public Brain Health and Concussion Prevention

The Best Concussion Treatment is Brain Safety Our brains are our most valuable resource, and we should take care of them. With all of the news circulating in the media on the topic of athlete brain health, being extra conscious of how we are treating our brains is key. To ensure the best chance of living a happy and healthy life for as long as possible, we must take precaution. Brain Health for the General Public There are several ways to optimize brain health. Most of these tactics are actually very similar to how we try to stay healthy in other ways. This includes eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and avoiding substances that are toxic to our brains such as [...]

2018-07-18T14:59:31+00:00July 18th, 2018|Sports Medicine, Sports Neurology|
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What’s Your Training METHOD?

Method Testing for Endurance Athletes At IBJI, we have an exercise assessment called “Method Testing”  which allows us to determine a unique metabolic fingerprint for each individual. The basis of metabolic testing is determining what is known as your “lactate threshold,” which is when your body begins to produce lactic acid during movement and exercise. […]

2018-05-21T13:41:22+00:00May 21st, 2018|OrthoHealth, Physical & Occupational Therapy, Sports Medicine|
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Spine Surgeon Dr. Mark M. Mikhael Talks Pain Management With Becker’s

Recently, IBJI's Dr. Mark Mikhael participated in a question and answer session with Becker's Spine Review for it's weekly feature, Ask Spine Surgeons. Dr. Mikhael was asked about key trends in pain management he highlighted several, including an enhanced recovery after surgery program and patient "treatment agreements." Here's what Dr. Mikhael had to say about the latter: ...Patient "treatment agreements" are being used by pain management physicians, facilitating patients to enter into a mutual understanding that their treatment program will be under the direction of a particular pain management physician. This physician will control the prescribing of all types of medications related to pain management in the preop, periop and postop setting. These agreements help patients understand who to turn to for [...]

2018-05-11T16:05:17+00:00May 11th, 2018|Uncategorized|
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