Surgeons Orthopedic - Orthopedics Now : Now Health Network

Who is Your Local Orthopedic Surgeon?

A local orthopedic surgeon specializes in treating orthopedic injuries, generally with advice from a local family physician. A local orthopedic surgeon may use surgical and nonsurgical procedures to treat a variety of conditions, including sports injuries, spinal diseases, musculoskeletal trauma, hand injuries, knee injuries, foot conditions, and degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Arthritis & Other Conditions a Local Orthopedic Surgeon Treats

Here are some of the common orthopedic conditions a local orthopedic surgeon may treat:

Arthritis: Patients with arthritis may work primarily with a local rheumatologist to develop a plan for living with arthritis. A local orthopedic surgeon may be involved if patients with psoriatic arthritis, thumb arthritis, shoulder arthritis, or other types of arthritis require surgery. Surgery for rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis is aimed at helping improve joint mobility and reducing joint pain. Hip replacement and knee replacement are common types of surgery for arthritis. If you have a hip injury, you may benefit from rehab exercises such as hip flexor exercises and hip and lower stomach exercises.

Elbow, wrist, and hand injuries: Our hands and wrists are vulnerable to injuries because we use them so much throughout the day. Common wrist injuries and hand injuries include sprains, trigger finger, and triangular fibrocartilage complex injury of the wrist. Elbow pain can be caused by various types of injury and repetitive motions during sports. Golfer’s elbow, also known as tennis elbow, is one example of a common elbow condition.

Sports injuries: There is a wide range of sports injuries that athletes of all levels can experience. Here are some examples of common sports injuries:

Cycling injuries: Cycling injuries are common and can be assisted with proper cycling position on the bike and good road sense in understanding the rules of the road.
Golf injuries: From back pain to rotator cuff injuries, golf injuries are generally related to your golf swing.
Running injuries: Common running injuries include runner’s knee, shin splints, and hamstring injuries.
Skiing injuries: There are a number of skiing injuries that can occur, including broken wrists and legs, spinal injuries, and hip pain.
Tennis injuries: Common tennis injuries include those to the elbow, wrist, knee, hip, and shoulder.

If you have a sports injury, you may work with a sports medicine physician and/or athletic therapist in addition to a local orthopedic surgeon. Sports medicine doctors are physicians with additional training in restoring function to patients who have suffered a sports injury. A sports medicine physician may work in a clinic, hospital, personal fitness centre or directly with child or adult athletes. They often work with physiotherapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, and kinesiologists.

Knee injuries: Knee injuries include MCL tears, meniscus tears, ACL tears, PCL injuries, and cartilage damage. The treatment for a knee injury depends on its severity. For example, for a meniscus tear, the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) may be enough, while surgery may be required for an MCL tear.

Back pain: Upper or lower back pain that can be caused by a variety of problems with any parts of the complex, interconnected network of spinal muscles, nerves, bones, discs, or tendons in the lumbar spine. Common back conditions include spondylolysis, which is a stress fracture that runs through the posterior aspect of the pars interarticularis of one or more vertebrae in the lumbar spine. Back surgery may be recommended if other treatment options don’t work. If you experience back problems, back pain rehabilitation with a physiotherapist, chiropractor, and massage therapist can help. Doing back exercises such as standing posture exercises can also be beneficial in treating and preventing back pain. So can working with a yoga instructor or a Pilates instructor.

Neck and shoulder pain: Neck and shoulder pain can be classified in many different ways. Some people experience only neck pain or only shoulder pain, while others experience pain in both areas. Or, shoulder or neck pain could be caused by an injury such as a shoulder SLAP tear or whiplash. Neck pain is often caused by sleep problems. Sleep-related neck problems are commonly caused by an unsupportive mattress or sleeping position. Depending on the condition, you may require a surgical procedure, such as reverse shoulder replacement surgery, during which the local orthopedic surgeon implants a prosthesis.

Spinal injuries: Spinal injuries can also be treated by a local orthopedic surgeon. Some spinal conditions may benefit from a lumbar discectomy or laminectomy, which are types of minimally invasive surgeries.

Scoliosis: Scoliosis is a lateral (toward the side) curvature in the normally straight vertical line of the spine. Scoliosis is an abnormal curve in the spine. The word scoliosis comes from the Greek word scolios, meaning curved or crooked. There are several types of scoliosis, and it occurs most often in children between 9 and 15 years of age. Typically, scoliosis in children is classified as congenital, meaning there were vertebral deformities or anomalies present at birth, or acquired. Congenital scoliosis accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of all cases, while acquired accounts for 80 to 85 percent of cases.

Leg and foot conditions: A local orthopedic surgeon can treat a variety of leg and foot conditions, from plantar fasciitis and hamstring pull to leg length discrepancy. If you experience conditions such as foot or toe blisters, you may benefit from working with a podiatrist or pedorthist and wearing orthotics in your shoes. Following a leg injury or surgery, it can be a good idea to incorporate leg exercises such as leg lunges and leg strength squats into your recovery plan.

Treatments & Lifestyle Changes for Orthopedic Injuries

Depending on your orthopedic injury, a local orthopedic surgeon may perform diagnostics such as a musculoskeletal ultrasound and rehabilitative ultrasound imaging. This can help your local orthopedic surgeon diagnose your injury and recommend the right treatment.

If you require orthopedic surgery, your physician will work with you to develop a pre- and post-surgical plan. In addition to medication or surgery, patients may benefit from an exercise program, healthy eating plan that’s low in saturated fats and sodium, and focusing on mental health issues such as depression.

Whether you have an orthopedic condition or have questions about an exercise plan later in life, a local orthopedic surgeon can help. To get started, talk to your local physician.