An adult has 206 bones and somewhere between 300 to 350 joints in the human body. Imagine if any one of them breaks partially or wholly, what amount of excruciating pain it can bring to you! The severe pain also becomes a barrier in performing day to day chores and tasks of life. It is time to visit an expert called an orthopedic doctor.
Who are orthopedic doctors?
Orthopedics is a branch of medicine which deals with the problems involved with the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal framework is comprised of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments. These health care individuals are specialized in taking care of bones, joints, and muscles. The primary care physician may be able to treat general aches, but there are certain conditions and symptoms which require an expert’s opinion, which in this case is an orthopedic specialist. They also perform orthopedic surgery, such as joint replacements.
An orthopedic doctor possesses comprehensive knowledge and understanding of conditions that could not get treated through the primary care health practitioner. Orthopedic doctors treat injuries of the musculoskeletal framework using both invasive and non-invasive methods. Sometimes, they let you choose the method of treatment involved.
When to see an Orthopedic Doctor?
1. When you suffer from chronic pain.
Orthopedic doctors are pain management specialists as well. They possess all the practical skills required to diagnose, treat, and manage chronic pain. Chronic pain by definition is the pain that had lasted longer than 3 months. It’s is essentially an orthopedics’ job to determine whether a musculoskeletal glitch or breakage of any bone, joint, tendon, or ligament is the primary cause for a patient’s persisting pain. When the cause is determined, it needs to be evaluated properly. Patients are walked through the invasive and non-invasive methods of treatment and are allowed to choose between the same. Hence, an orthopedic doctor’s job is to determine the musculoskeletal cause of the pain and focus entirely on the same to reduce the pain and dysfunctional abilities if any caused by it.
For example, if an individual suffers from a Repetitive strain injury caused due to overuse of muscles, repetitive and forceful motions, and bad posture. Commonly affected areas are the back, neck, arms, and hands. Carpel tunnel syndrome is a typical example of repetitive strain injury. In Carpel tunnel syndrome, the muscles and nerves of the hand get affected because of the overuse of the ligaments involved. For example- excessive typing. Common symptoms include tenderness, stiffness, or tingling in the hand. Early diagnosis from an orthopedic doctor can get you effective treatment and help to relieve such pains.
2. When your range of motion is becoming limited
Do your joints feel stiff and jerky when they are moved? This could be happening because of the limited range of motion of that particular joint or muscle. The range of motion is defined as the extent to which a joint can be moved. When we suffer any injuries, our range of motion gets affected for the time being. If not treated properly, it sometimes remains limited even after the injury is healed. Hence, a person starts feeling the limited motion or stiffness in that area. Ankle dislocations are common of all Rang of motion injuries. It’s important to see a certified orthopedic specialist as soon as possible to prevent the injuries from getting worse.
3. When you have difficulty in doing day to day chores/tasks.
As an adult starts to age, bone and joint discomforts become a problem that has to be dealt on an everyday basis. The discomforts, however, should not inhibit your capabilities of doing day to day tasks like climbing up the staircase, standing for a long time in the kitchen while cooking, lifting objects, walking the dog, bending to pick the fallen stuff, etc. If this sounds similar to you, you should fix an appointment with an orthopedic as soon as possible.
An orthopedic doctor provides an expert's opinion on the condition you may be suffering. Living with pain is never a good idea. The treatment greatly improves and manages the pain and the symptoms you might be suffering.
4. When you had a minor injury which didn’t improve in the last 48 hours
For soft tissue injuries like twisted knee and ankle sprains, RICE is recommended to perform in the first 24-48 hours of the incident. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Following the procedure makes sure that no swelling subsides in the 48 hours. If it does, it is a sure sign to book a visit to an orthopedic to prevent the injury from getting worse.
The bottom line…
A visit to orthopedic is never harming, in fact, it will help you in gaining knowledge about how your muscular system works. A visit to Back In Motion Sport & Spine Physical Therapy in Fort Myers will immediately set you up with our team of Orthopedics’ experts who will craft personalized treatments for you along with Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, FL for orthopedic, sport, and spine injuries. Schedule an appointment today!
