Whenever you feel pain in any part of your body, your natural inclination is to visit your primary care physician. In most cases, your family doctor can evaluate the problem, offer a diagnosis, and recommend treatment.
However, if you are experiencing pain, stiffness, or discomfort in your muscles, joints, or bones that makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks and activities, chronic pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks, a decrease in your range of motion, instability while walking or standing, or have a soft tissue injury that hasn’t improved within a few days – you should likely see a specialist called an orthopedist or orthopedic doctor.
Signs and Symptoms of an Orthopedic Condition
There are many reasons why you may need to see an orthopedic specialist. Common reasons include:
- Muscle, joint, or bone pain following an injury or accident
- Instability when standing or walking
- A dislocated shoulder or elbow
- Progressive hip or knee pain
- Hip or knee pain that worsens during weight-bearing activities
- Arthritis in the knee, hip, or elbow
- Chronic neck or back pain
- Diagnosed osteoarthritis
- A torn or ruptured tendon
An orthopedist is specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases that affect the musculoskeletal system and, as such, can address your condition effectively.
Depending on the type and severity of your injury or illness, an orthopedist may utilize noninvasive treatment options (such as medication or physical therapy) or recommend a minimally invasive or more complex surgical procedure. They may also facilitate your rehabilitation following a sports injury, bone fracture, or degenerative condition to help improve your quality of life.
Surgical and Non-Surgical Orthopedic Procedures
Nonsurgical procedures performed by an orthopedist include:
- Aspiration (fluid drainage)
- Injections (these include steroids injected into the knee and bursa, facet joint injections, cervical epidural injections, and lumbar epidural steroid injections)
- Lumbar sympathetic block
- Viscosupplementation (the injection of hyaluronic acid to lubricate a knee joint)
- Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT)
- Joint manipulation
- Bracing and casting
Surgical procedures performed by an orthopedic doctor include:
- Joint replacement surgery
- Joint revision surgery
- Arthroscopy (surgery performed using an arthroscope inserted into a joint through a small incision)
- Spinal surgery to relieve pressure on nerves
- Disc replacement and spinal fusion surgery
- Soft tissue repair to mend torn or ruptured tendons or ligaments
- Bone fracture repair
- Osteotomy to correct a bone deformity
- Debridement or removal of damaged tissue or bone
- Excision or removal of bone and soft tissue tumors
Orthopedist Near You in San Antonio, Texas
If you are dealing with a painful injury or illness that is affecting the functionality of a hand, shoulder, knee, or hip, the board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians at the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine can provide effective treatment.
We utilize a comprehensive range of innovative and traditional therapies – including general orthopedic care, total joint replacement, orthopedic surgery, arthroscopic surgery, sports medicine, and resetting fractured bones – for a wide variety of orthopedic conditions, such as:
- Arthritis of the hip
- Arthritis of the knee
- Arthritis of the shoulder
- Biceps tendonitis
- Broken collarbone
- Dislocated shoulder
- Elbow bursitis
- Elbow fractures
- Frozen shoulder
- Knee ligament injuries
- Meniscal tear
- Shoulder separation
- Shoulder pain
- Sprains and strains
- Unstable kneecap
At the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, our entire staff is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality patient-centered care available in the greater San Antonio area.
To learn more about our services, or to schedule a consultation with one of our highly skilled orthopedic surgeons, call us today at (210) 692-7400 or use our convenient online form to request an appointment.
