Ever had a muscle strain, a broken bone, or twisted your ankle too far? If you’ve ever had an injury involving your bones or muscles, you’ve likely received treatment from an orthopedic doctor. Orthopedic doctors can handle a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. They sometimes focus further on more specialized fields of orthopedics.
Read on to find out how an orthopedic doctor can help you.
Medication Prescription
Orthopedic doctors deal with problems of the musculoskeletal system. The most common problem is pain caused by fatigue or other minor injuries. Your doctor will begin with the most conservative treatment option available: painkillers. Typically, medications for pain are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other over-the-counter medicine. If your pain persists after taking these medications, you may need a different type of treatment.
Fracture Care
Bone fractures range from thin, hairline cracks to broken bones. Orthopedic doctors help with this condition by giving a patient a splint or a cast. This keeps the bone immobilized, allowing a patient’s body to repair the fracture.
For severe fractures, orthopedic doctors may recommend getting surgery. Surgical treatment for broken bones is typically necessary when a fracture has resulted in multiple bone fragments or misalignment of bone fragments. In such a situation, your orthopedic doctor will need to set the pieces of bone or secure bone fragments in place using screws or pins.
Arthritis Care
This condition is the painful inflammation or severe degradation of the joints. An orthopedic doctor can handle most kinds of arthritis. However, the type of arthritis treatment a patient receives will depend on the kind of arthritis they have.
An orthopedic doctor will typically recommend and facilitate physical therapy. Less severe cases of arthritis may only need medication to help with the pain. More severe cases may require surgery if other conservative treatments do not work.
Joint Fusion
This procedure is also called arthrodesis. An orthopedic doctor will typically use it for conditions untreated by conservative interventions. However, this is a permanent treatment for extremely severe problems, so your orthopedic doctor will assess your condition thoroughly before recommending it.
This procedure unites the bones and alleviates pain. For example, your doctor might fuse two of your vertebrae — those vertebrae will no longer be able to move or flex around each other. Additionally, it may strengthen your joint and enable you to place more weight on it. Orthopedic doctors typically perform joint fusions on the following body parts:
- Spine
- Ankles
- Wrists
- Fingers
- Thumbs
- Feet
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis Treatment
If you feel pain in your shoulder, you may need rotator cuff treatment. When a person’s tendons are inflamed, they will experience pain and may be unable to perform everyday tasks. Rotator cuff injuries vary in severity, and an orthopedic doctor can prescribe the most appropriate treatments.
- Medications — these are typically NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to help with the pain.
- Corticosteroid injections — help with the inflammation and are commonly given to those with chronic conditions.
- Surgery — the orthopedic surgeon will remove any bone spurs and repair the affected tendons directly.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive procedure used to diagnose and treat joint pain. This procedure allows your orthopedic doctor to visualize your joint and treat your condition as soon as seeing it. It’s a versatile procedure as it can be used for both diagnosis and treatment.
An orthopedic doctor can use arthroscopy to diagnose and treat conditions in the following body parts:
- Knee
- Shoulder
- Elbow
- Ankle
- Hip
- Wrist
Discectomy
Discectomy is a procedure used to relieve pressure on the spine caused by specific kinds of back problems. The pain and pressure in a patient’s spine may be due to a herniated disc or the formation of bone spurs. Discectomy is the surgical removal of these bone spurs and herniated discs to ease pressure and pain.
A different, more conservative, and minimally-invasive procedure like discectomy also exists, called a microdiscectomy. Microdiscectomy only involves a small incision in the back to insert a thin tube with a camera to visualize the problem. Most orthopedic doctors prefer a microdiscectomy as it’s faster and easier to perform. Furthermore, it also has fewer complication risks, and patients typically heal significantly faster.
Orthopedic Doctors in San Antonio, TX
Different orthopedic conditions require different approaches to help solve them. Orthopedic doctors can handle a broad range of concerns, from injuries during sports to severe degenerative diseases. If you have an orthopedic problem, it’s best to contact your orthopedic doctor to assess your condition and receive the correct intervention.
If you’re looking for a place to get your musculoskeletal health checked, look no further than the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Together with our finest healthcare providers and a set of equally experienced and caring staff, we will make sure to give you the best care possible.
If you want to know more about our services, you can call us at (210) 692-7400 or check in online anytime. You may also secure an appointment by using our online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!
