Common orthopedic conditions

Common Orthopedic Conditions Listing every known orthopedic issue on the books would take ages! Orthopedic medicine is a specialty that deals with any impairment or deformity of the skeletal system or its associate structures like muscles or ligaments. As any orthopedic surgeon can attest, those systems break down in both slow and traumatic ways.

Most of us can diagnose what happened to our skeleton if we jump up and then hear a CRACK upon landing. However, the slower, steadier damage can evade us. It’s easier to write of the slow building pains as aging or sleeping funny.

The orthopedic issues below are very common but should not be ignored. No one is excited about needing an orthopedic surgeon. However, that doesn’t mean you should let the issues go. If you do, you risk developing major health issues.

Condition: Arthritis Arthritis is a very common orthopedic issue. It is when one or more joint becomes inflamed. There are many different types of arthritis, including but not limited to degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis), inflammatory arthritis, infectious arthritis, metabolic arthritis. The most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the tissue covering bones where they meet as joints break down. When osteoarthritis progresses too far, bone can grind directly on bone. This is as painful as it sounds.

Osteoarthritis occurs over the course of many years, although it can be accelerated by injury or infection.

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that targets the lining of joints.

Given enough time, this disease can destroy bone and cartilage alike.

Your risk of developing arthritis increases based on your age, gender, weight and family history. Older, overweight women who have experienced past joint injuries are at a very high risk of developing arthritis.

Symptoms: Arthritis symptoms can be mild or debilitating. Often, they build slowly over time, until they begin to get in the away of normal functionality.

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Pain Stiffness Decreased range of motion Swelling

Treatment(s): Depending on the type of arthritis, different analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), counterirritants, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologic response modifiers, and corticosteroids may be able to improve your symptoms.

Physical therapy can also help with arthritis symptoms. It seems counter intuitive to move a damage joint MORE but exercise can strengthen the muscles surrounding joints and improve your range of motion.

There are a lot of alternative medical options, such as acupuncture, glucosamine, yoga, tai chi, and massage. However, if the damage to your joint is too severe, you may need orthopedic surgery, like a joint repair, joint replacement or joint fusion.

Condition: Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by long-term, widespread pain and heightened response to pressure. It’s thought that fibromyalgia impacts the way that your brain processes pain signals.

There is not a clear, define cause for fibromyalgia. Genetics appear to play a factor as fibromyalgia can run in families. Infections and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also appear to trigger or aggravate the condition. Significantly more women than men develop fibromyalgia.

Symptoms: 1. Widespread pain 2. Fatigue 3. “Fibro fog� (difficulty focusing) It is not uncommon for people with fibromyalgia to experience depression, tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and anxiety.

Treatment(s): Pain relievers, antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs can often help treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Learning coping strategies with a counselor can help you know how to manage a stressful situation.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is incredibly important. Reducing stress and pacing yourself can help avoid aggravating the disorder. Make sure to exercise regularly and get enough sleep.

Some people also use acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga and tai chi.

Condition: Carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome is a tingling, numbness and/or pain in your hand when your median nerve is under pressure. The carpel tunnel is the passageway for nerves on the palm side of your wrist. The tunnel exists to protect the tendons that bend your fingers. When the nerves get compressed, it causes numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness.

Fracturing your wrist or dislocating it can put pressure on the nerve. People with naturally smaller carpal tunnels are at greater risk. Women are more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome than men. There

is a lot of anecdotal evidence for work factors impacting your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome but research is still being conducted to determine the exact impacts of prolonged computer use.

Symptoms: 1. Tingling 2. Numbness 3. Weakness If these symptoms become severe enough to impact your sleep patterns or daily life, then you need to visit your doctor. Orthopedic surgery may be necessary.

Treatment(s): There are non-surgical and surgical options for dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome. In order to determine which best suits your needs, you will need to visit your doctor.

Non-surgical options consist of wrist splinting, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroids. If surgery is necessary, then an orthopedic surgeon will have to choose between endoscopic surgery and open surgery. In both cases, incisions are made to the ligament putting pressure on your carpel tunnel.

Some of these conditions can be treated without orthopedic surgery. However, some of them do and, if untreated, many more of them can have a serious impact on your health. If you live in San Antonio, Texas and need an orthopedic surgeon, visit the South Texas Spinal Clinic. They have a wide array of impressive orthopedic surgeons who strive to provide the best in patient care.