Sports Medicine Services

What are the signs that’s something wrong in my hip?

While the answer to this question may seem obvious — hip pain — there are signs that provide valuable clues for your orthopaedist at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., such as the location of your hip pain, which can be:

• In the front of your hip
• On the outside of your hip
• In your groin
• Over your buttocks

Aside from the hip pain, you may also experience:

• Swelling and discomfort in your thighs and knees
• Inflammation in your joint
• Hip muscle spasms
• Limping
• Loss of range of motion
• Pain while you sleep
• Fever, redness, and warmth around your hips

It’s important that you note these characteristics so that your joint specialist has a complete picture of the problem and can begin diagnosis.

What are the most common causes of hip pain?

There are many conditions that can lead to hip pain, including:

• Dislocation or fracture
• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Labral tear
• Femoroacetabular impingement

To determine the source of your hip pain, Western Orthopaedics, P.C., uses the latest diagnostic tools, including in-house X-rays.

How is hip pain treated?

There’s no single answer to this question as it depends upon the source of your pain. For example, if you’ve dislocated or fractured your hip, rest and medications, followed by physical therapy, is the typical course of action.

If, however, you’re dealing with a chronic or degenerative condition, such as arthritis, the goal at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., is to restore pain-free movement, which your provider accomplishes through:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroid injections
• Physical therapy

Should these conservative measures prove ineffective, your hip specialist may recommend hip replacement surgery. Every year in the United States, doctors perform approximately 300,000 total hip replacements, making it a fairly common procedure. 

Western Orthopaedics, P.C., uses the latest tools, including arthroscopy, which is a minimally invasive technique that speeds recovery and minimizes tissue damage. In fact, hip replacement surgery is often the best way to restore full function to this important joint, and new materials ensure that your new hip joint will go the distance.

If you’re struggling with hip pain, call Western Orthopaedics, P.C., or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment.

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What are the most common causes of knee pain?

Your knees are arguably some of the hardest-working joints in your body as they provide support, mobility, and range of motion with your every step. Because of their role, knee pain is fairly common and can stem from acute injuries or degenerative conditions, including:

• Ligament tears, including an anterior cruciate ligament tears
• Meniscal tears
• Patellofemoral syndrome
• Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Fractures
• Bursitis

Your knees are not only your largest joints, but they’re also incredibly complex as they connect your lower and upper legs through a network of bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Any injury to one of these areas can have a widespread impact on the function of your knee.

How is knee pain diagnosed?

When you first visit Western Orthopaedics, P.C., your provider sits down with you to review your symptoms. This is an important part of the discovery process and guides your orthopaedist toward the right diagnosis. As an example, if your knee pain came on suddenly and you heard a popping sound, this likely indicates a ligament tear.

If your knee pain is gradual and flares after activity, you may be dealing with a degenerative condition like arthritis.

Once your doctor understands the nature of your knee pain, they perform a visual examination of your knee and order imaging to get a closer look at the internal structures.

Once they identify the source of your knee pain, they design a treatment plan that restores your mobility and relieves your pain.

How is knee pain treated?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to knee pain and your treatment plan depends upon the underlying cause. To give you an idea of some of the treatments that are available for knee pain, here’s what your provider at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., may recommend:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroid injections
• Partial or complete knee replacement surgery
• Knee arthroscopy
• Surgical repair of the soft tissues
• Regenerative medicine

Whatever treatment you choose, you should expect that physical therapy will also play a role in order to strengthen your knee and promote range of motion.

For quick resolution of your knee pain, call Western Orthopaedics, P.C., or request a consultation using the online booking tool.

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What are the symptoms of shoulder pain?

While the answer to this question may seem obvious, the nature of your shoulder pain, as well as any accompanying symptoms, can vary depending upon the problem.

For example, you may only experience shoulder pain at night or with certain movements. Or, the pain may be a constant companion.

As well, you may also experience:

• A crackling sound when you move your shoulder
• Limited range of motion, including the inability to lift your arm overhead
• Swelling and stiffness around the shoulder

Be sure to note your symptoms, which helps your provider at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., identify the cause of your shoulder pain.

What are the most common causes of shoulder pain?

The most common causes of shoulder pain include:

• Impingement
• Rotator cuff tears
• Arthritis
• Dislocation or separation
• Fractures
• Bursitis

To figure out what’s causing your shoulder pain, you should seek the counsel of a joint specialist, like those found at Western Orthopaedics, P.C.

How is shoulder pain diagnosed?

After reviewing your symptoms and performing a physical exam, your joint expert at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., orders diagnostic imaging, such as in-house X-rays. This imaging allows your doctor to get a closer look at the internal structures inside the ball-and-socket joint to locate the source of your shoulder pain.

How is shoulder pain treated?

Your treatment depends upon what’s causing your shoulder pain. Once your doctor at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., diagnosis the problem, they discuss the next steps with you, which may include:

• Immobilization (sling)
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroid injections
• Rest
• Physical therapy
• Regenerative medicine

If you have a serious tear in your connective tissue, your doctor may recommend surgical repair using the latest minimally invasive techniques. If arthritis has wreaked havoc within your joint, you may benefit from shoulder replacement surgery.

The bottom line is that shoulders are extremely delicate joints that require prompt care in order to avoid long-term problems. For example, if you dislocate your shoulder, the joint may be more susceptible to future dislocations. As another example, if you tear your rotator cuff, this tissue doesn’t usually heal on its own and requires surgical correction sooner rather than later.

To explore your options in remedying your shoulder pain, call Western Orthopaedics, P.C., or request an appointment using the online booking feature.

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What is sports medicine? 

Sports medicine is the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of sports-related injuries. You might get injured while jumping, getting tackled, through contact with other players, falling down, changing directions rapidly, or hitting your head. The sports medicine experts at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., offer comprehensive, personalized care, regardless of how you suffer an injury.

What are common sports injuries?

Common sports injuries you may experience while playing soccer, basketball, hockey, football, or other sports include:

• Sprains
• Strains
• Fractures
• Dislocation
• MCL or ACL tear
• Concussion
• Torn cartilage
• Tendonitis

Sports injuries often affect bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and joints. Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, or a bone, muscle, or joint deformity. Sometimes injuries and pain associated with them subside on their own over time, but in other cases, treatment is necessary to make a full recovery. If pain is severe or long-lasting, see an orthopaedic surgeon for an evaluation.

How are sports injuries diagnosed?

To diagnose a sports injury, your orthopaedic specialist reviews your symptoms and medical history. They examine the site of the injury and may use blood tests or imaging procedures, such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or ultrasound, to make a final diagnosis and develop a personalized treatment plan.

What is the treatment for sports injuries?

Treatment for a sports injury depends on the type and severity of the injury. Your orthopaedic specialist might recommend one or more of the following.

• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Heat or ice therapy
• Wearing a brace
• Fracture treatment
• Radiofrequency Ablation
• Physical Therapy
• Steroid, hyaluronic acid, or pain-relieving injections
• Regenerative medicine
• Minimally invasive surgery

Examples of regenerative medicine include stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which stimulate your body’s natural healing response.

Your orthopaedic surgeon recommends the least invasive sports injury treatment whenever possible, but offers surgery if it’s the best way to fully restore musculoskeletal function. Your surgeon uses arthroscopic surgery and other innovative procedures.

Don’t live with an injury or pain associated with it when simple sports medicine treatments are available at Western Orthopaedics, P.C. Schedule an appointment over the phone or request one online at the first sign of an injury.

What is arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which your orthopaedic surgeon uses tiny incisions and an arthroscope, a tiny tube with a camera attached to it, to view the inside of a joint or treat an injury. 

Benefits of arthrscopy vs. invasive surgery include:

• Smaller incisions
• Less bleeding
• Minimal scarring
• Shorter recovery times
• Less pain
• Lower risk of complications

Your orthopaedic surgeon might use arthroscopy to diagnose an injury, or treat an injured area of your joint at the same time as diagnostic arthroscopy.

For what is arthroscopy used?

Your surgeon might recommend arthroscopy if you experience pain in your:

• Knee
• Ankle
• Shoulder
• Elbow
• Wrist
• Hip

They might recommend undergoing the procedure if results from X-rays or other diagnostic imaging procedures are inconclusive. Surgical arthroscopy can treat torn ligaments, joint scarring, loose bone fragments, damaged or torn cartilage, and inflamed joint linings.

How should I prepare for surgery?

Prior to surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon reviews your symptoms and medical history, examines the painful area, and might use blood or imaging tests to determine the most appropriate course of action.

Your doctor gives you pre-surgical instructions that might include avoiding certain medicines, not eating or drinking the day of surgery, and finding a friend or family member to drive you home.

What happens during an arthroscopy?

Just before arthroscopy, you receive local anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or general anesthesia to put you to sleep or prevent you from feeling any pain. Your surgeon makes a tiny incision and inserts the arthroscope into the joint to view the inside of it or make repairs.

Arthroscopy might last about an hour or two, depending on the complexity of the procedure needed. Your doctor closes the treatment site with stitches or adhesive tape.

What should I expect during my recovery?

After arthroscopy, you’re taken to a recovery room to rest for a few hours. Someone must drive you home. Follow post-surgery instructions by taking medication as prescribed by your doctor, resting, icing the area, and wearing a brace when necessary.

Call your surgeon if you experience signs of infection, such as fever, redness, or drainage from the incision site.

After a few days, you should be able to resume light activity or desk work and participate in strenuous activity several weeks later. Attend all follow-up appointments and physical therapy sessions to accelerate healing and optimize your results.

If you have an injury and experience severe or chronic pain, schedule an appointment with Western Orthopaedics, P.C., over the phone or request one online today.

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., involves minor surgical procedures, such as arthroscopy, that repair injuries. Benefits of minimally invasive surgery over invasive surgery include:

• Smaller incisions
• Less pain
• Shorter recovery times
• Less bleeding
• Lower risk of complications

The skilled surgeons at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., have decades of experience and use the latest advances in technology and techniques to help you achieve a desirable outcome.

Why might I require minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., may be right for you if you suffer from one or more of the following injuries or diseases: 

• Arthritis
• Sports-related injuries
• A torn meniscus
• ACL or MCL injuries
• A fracture
• Worn down joints 
• Other joint damage
• Chronic pain
• Patella tendon injuries

Your orthopaedic surgeon recommends the least invasive treatment option first, such as physical therapy, joint injections, regenerative medicine, or radiofrequency ablation, but understands the importance of minimally invasive surgery to fully restore musculoskeletal function in some cases.

How are joint injuries diagnosed?

To diagnose an injury or disease associated with pain, your orthopaedic specialist reviews your symptoms, discusses your medical history, and examines the site of injury or pain. They might use blood tests or imaging procedures, such as bone scans, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or ultrasound, to help diagnose your condition and determine if minimally invasive surgery is right for you.

What should I expect during minimally invasive surgery?

Follow pre-surgical instructions before arriving for your surgery. You may have to avoid food and water the day of surgery, and stop taking certain medications prior to the procedure. You receive general anesthesia or local anesthesia, so you don’t feel any pain.

Your surgeon makes tiny incisions at the site of the injury and may use an arthroscope, or tiny tube with a special camera attached to it, to view the inside of a joint and repair tissues. They can mend soft tissues, such as ligaments and tendons, or fuse together broken bones. Your surgeon might also eliminate damaged tissue during minimally invasive surgery.

What happens after the procedure?

After surgery, you might rest in a recovery room for a few hours. Plan to have someone drive you home and follow all post-surgery instructions. Your doctor prescribes medications to take while you heal.

You may have to wear a brace, use crutches, ice the treatment area, and undergo physical therapy. Recovery can take several weeks or months, depending on the complexity of your procedure.

Don’t let an injury go untreated when minimally invasive surgery can restore musculoskeletal function and your quality of life. Schedule an appointment with Western Orthopaedics, P.C., over the phone or request online for an evaluation today.