Your orthopedic doctor is an absolute master at care plans, including non-surgical treatments for comprehensive musculoskeletal issues or an acute injury to a joint, bone, tendon, or ligament.
Let’s talk about what this highly trained physician can do to keep you moving and where you can find the best orthopedic doctor in San Antonio, TX.
Treating Your Complex Musculoskeletal System
It’s a marvel of support, movement, coordination, and balance, but like any other body system, injury, age, disease, or other unfortunate circumstances can take its toll, limiting your activities. Fortunately, orthopedic doctors have many treatment modalities to heal and manage:
- Strains and sprains
- Fractures
- Joint dislocations
- Arthritis
- Concussions
- Tendonitis
- Headaches
- Neck, shoulder, and lower back pain
- Nerve pain
- Joint instability
For some people, surgery is the first and best treatment option. However, for many other patients, a comprehensive in-office evaluation by an orthopedic doctor is required to manage symptoms, reduce pain, and improve balance, range of motion, coordination, and strength. Overall, it helps people recover their best selves without the complexities of surgery and rehabilitation.
Types of Non-surgical Orthopedic Treatments
Here are some of the treatments offered by any orthopedic clinic.
Injection therapy and medications
Your doctor may prescribe one or more injections to control your pain and/or joint stiffness. These may include corticosteroid shots to reduce inflammation and swelling, viscosupplementation to add fluid to a knee joint, or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to improve function and relieve pain. Additionally, your orthopedic doctor offers a joint aspiration to remove fluid caused by arthritis or infection and pain medications, such as ibuprofen, to control pain and swelling.
Physical therapy
Often performed to prepare for or avoid surgery, physical therapy helps patients overcome the poor strength, coordination, and flexibility associated with complex joint movements. This orthopedic treatment dovetails with occupational therapy, which teaches people how to perform job-related activities, household tasks, and hygiene in safer, more efficient ways.
Therapy can include modalities such as:
- Massage
- Heat or cold application
- Ultrasound treatments
- Active and passive range of motion exercises
- Stretching and strengthening
- Bracing (and other kinds of immobilization) and DME, such as crutches, canes, and walkers
Fracture care
It’s what most people think of when orthopedics is mentioned. In fact, about two million fractures happen in the United States each year, and many are related to degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Your orthopedic doctor is an expert in evaluating fractures through digital imaging techniques. He or she determines the method of repair and recovery–simple casting, therapy, and as needed, open (surgical) or closed reduction of more complex bone breaks.
Exceptional Orthopedic Services in San Antonio, TX
At the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, our three board-certified physicians perform innovative restorative surgeries but also, know how to heal many conditions or injuries in personalized, non-operative ways.
If you have pain, poor flexibility, or an injury that is just not healing, phone us for a consultation with Dr. Geoffrey Millican, Dr. Michael Jones, or Dr. Raymond Skunda. You’ll receive a care plan fine-tuned to your needs and goals.
Call (210) 692-7400, or request a visit by filling in our online form. We are happy to be of service!
