With the astounding leaps the medical field is achieving on what seems to be a daily basis, it can be hard to keep up with the available treatments. One of the areas discovering brand-new treatment options is orthopedics.
While early orthopedic medicine focused on treating children with limb, spine, and various other bone-related birth abnormalities, the field has grown far beyond that. Orthopedic medicine treats a large variety of bone and joint issues in all stages of life. Orthopedists also have several other areas of a patient’s health that they can assist with and improve quality of life.
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6 Ways Orthopedics Can Help With Your Health Needs
1. It Isn’t Just for Bones
The orthopedist may be thought of strictly in terms of bone health, but an orthopedic physical therapist can treat so much more than the lower back and joint pain. There is also muscular pain related to injuries one will need to have addressed to keep joints healthy. If a muscle is having problems, it could stress the bones and joints of the body.
A physical therapist will help strengthen the muscle around the bone, often fixing the joint pain a patient might have due to a tear or a weak muscle around it unable to support the joint correctly.
2. Surgery Isn’t Ever the First Step
Most people think of surgery when they hear they have an issue with their joints or bones. If being out of work for surgery or the cost of surgery is a considerable concern, have no fear! Many orthopedists specialize in treating bone or joint issues without making a single cut. While surgery is an option, it is never the first option, and orthopedists have many ways to address bone and joint problems before suggesting surgery.
Many orthopedic injuries can be treated with a physical therapy regime and not have a patient set foot in the operating room. An orthopedic physical therapist will come up with the best way to move your injury to improve your range of mobility while also keeping from making your condition worse.
3. An Orthopedist Knows Your Body
While working on your physical therapy with you, your orthopedist will learn your body better than you will ever know yourself. Your body and how it moves tells them how long you sit, what you eat and drink, and how much of your therapy you work on at home without them.
In order to help you get better, be up front with them. It is better for them to know everything about your lifestyle from the get go and will give your physical therapy plan a personal style fit for you.
4. Age is Just a Number
Everyone gets older. The life one lives does take a toll on the body. As a person ages, the joints wear down, and the body starts to ache in places one didn’t know could have aches. There is also the fact that muscle weakness begins to occur with less movement when one gets older.
Another issue with age is balance. When someone has a joint replacement, or perhaps has been moving around less they do not have the balance they used to have. An orthopedist can pinpoint what areas a geriatic individual has and will be able to help them regain more independence in their life by reducing their risk of falling.
5. Orthopedics Can Help Manage Diabetes
Neuropathy is a common occurrence in diabetics. The nerve damage in the extremities makes it challenging to move around due to the pain pressure it causes on the damaged areas.
Another age issue is balance. When someone has a joint replacement or perhaps has been moving around less, they do not have the balance they used to have. An orthopedist can pinpoint what areas a geriatric individual has and will be able to help them regain more independence in their life by reducing their risk of falling.
6. Sports Injuries Big and Small
When a sports injury comes to mind, the picture of a football player with a knee injury or a basketball player with a torn achilles tendon is the first thing that probably comes to mind. While there are prevalent and often treated patients with injuries in orthopedics in sport’s medicine, they aren’t the only sports injuries orthopedics treat.
Golfer’s Elbow and Tennis Elbow are the two most common minor injuries seen by sport’s medicine doctors. These injuries may be treatable with rest and the care of a primary care physician, in some cases they need more. A little bit of physical therapy on these particular types of injury can prevent them from turning into something much worse.
Orthopedics Has Endless Possibilities!
Having a competent, attentive, and dependable orthopaedic team on your side means the difference between a speedy, sustainable recovery and prolonged injury that has lasting repercussions.
From our two locations in Douglas and Gillette, Thunder Basin Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine has served clients with prestigious care, compassionate service, and cutting-edge surgical technologies for years. We specialize in treating various orthopaedic conditions including sports injuries, fractures and other traumatic injuries, degenerative joint disease, sprains, strains, tears, and more. Where possible, we also employ minimally invasive surgical techniques that produce the best outcomes while minimizing your downtime.
If you’re currently experiencing pain or beginning to feel discomfort during your workout or even your daily routine, request an appointment today!