Chances are, if you get injured or develop back pain, someone will recommend that you should visit an orthopedic specialist. Of course, they aren’t likely to elaborate, and there’s a chance that you already know vaguely what such a specialist might do, but how much do you really know about what an orthopedic doctor does?
What’s in a Name?
Before we get into the specifics of what an orthopedic doctor does, it may help to specify what exactly orthopedics is. Though the idea of orthopedics has been around ever since humans started breaking bones and experiencing deformities, the term itself wasn’t invented until 1741. The man who coined the term, Nicolas Andry, formed it from the Greek words “orthos,” meaning straight, and “paedis,” meaning child. The focus on kids was likely due to the fact that it was mostly children suffering from such injuries as broken bones and dislocations, as well as defects such as club feet. Of course, in this modern age, we know that orthopedics is a field most commonly utilized by those of advanced age or athletic leaning, but there is no true age cap on orthopedic issues.
So, that leaves the “orthos” portion of the term. What are they making straight? Well, much like an orthodontist will try to straighten (orthos) your teeth (odon), an orthopedic doctor will try to straighten out your entire body. This entails treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
The Musculoskeletal System
The musculoskeletal system is somewhat self-explanatory. It’s the system that provides stability and locomotion to the rest of the body, and it is divided into the muscular and skeletal systems. Basically, your muscles and bones. However, there are other tissues that fall into this category that aren’t strictly muscle or bone. For instance, the muscular system includes tendons, and the skeletal system includes cartilage and ligaments. So long as it directly contributes to the structural integrity and locomotive capacity of the body, it falls under this category. Orthopedic doctors also tend to include the nervous system in their treatments, if only because nerves tend to get damaged or pinched when something goes wrong in the musculoskeletal system.
Conditions Orthopedic Doctors Treat
Name a list of common injuries, and we can guarantee that an orthopedic doctor could find work in it. Since they specialize in the musculoskeletal system, orthopedic doctors treat conditions running the gamut, from injuries to diseases to deformities.
These can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Injuries
- Broken Bones
- Sprains
- Muscle Strains
- Acl Tears
- Tendonitis
Conditions
- Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Frozen Shoulder
- Poor Posture
- Bone Cancer
Deformities
- Clubfoot
- Bowlegs
- Scoliosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
How Do They Do It?
As stated previously, the field of orthopedics has been around since the dawn of human injury. However, in the modern age, the best orthopedic doctors have a wide range of treatment options, both old-fashioned and new-age. Orthopedics has seen major progress over the past several decades, especially when it comes to the direct repair of an injury. Having evolved from painful and awkward metal rods bolted into the bone, to bone glue that gets absorbed by the body, to recent experiments involving using “bone tubes” to potentially repair and fortify bones, we dare say that there has never been a better time in history to break a bone.
For simplicity’s sake, we’ll divide the main methods that an orthopedic doctor may employ into two categories: surgical and nonsurgical.
Non-Surgical
Oftentimes, an orthopedic doctor will try to suggest nonsurgical methods before opting for surgery. These methods, also called “conservative methods,” can include:
- Exercises or stretches designed to increase strength, range of motion, and flexibility of a specific area.
- Lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet, a strict exercise regiment, and modifications to your methods of mobility and exercise.
- Temporary immobilization of a specific area via the use of casts, braces, and splints, among other methods.
- Medications to relieve pain and swelling range from common household drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin to prescription drugs like corticosteroids.
Surgical
If your orthopedic doctor cannot improve your condition through conservative means, they may recommend surgery. These surgeries may include:
- Internal fixation, which involves the use of metal components (wires, rods, nails, plates, screws, etc.) to hold broken bones together while they heal.
- Joint replacement, which involves replacing parts of a joint that have become irreparably damaged or diseased.
- Fusion, which involves the usage of bone grafts and some form of immobilization to fuse two separate bone masses into one.
- Osteotomy, which involves the cutting, reshaping, and repositioning of bones to treat various deformities.
- Release surgery, which involves cutting the carpal ligament to relieve strain on the median nerve and treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Soft tissue repair, which involves any procedure done to repair damaged muscles, ligaments, or tendons.
Should I See an Orthopedic Doctor?
So far, we’ve outlined what an orthopedic doctor does and how they may go about doing it. Now for the important question: how do you know when you should visit one? Well, ideally, you should visit one if you have any concerns about your musculoskeletal health. However, if you’re looking for specific symptoms, here are a few that could warrant a visit to the doctor’s office:
- Persistent or recurring pain and/or swelling in or surrounding a bone, muscle, or joint that doesn’t seem to respond to at-home care.
- A significant loss of range of motion or mobility in any of your joints.
- Nerve-related issues such as a persistent numbness, tingling, or “pins and needles” sensation, especially when experienced in the arms or legs.
- Trouble performing your daily activities due to or in part because of the aforementioned symptoms.
And remember: there’s no threshold on how much pain you should be in before you see a doctor. Regardless of if you think it’s “bad enough” or not, if you’re experiencing pain or discomfort that’s making it harder for you to live your life as normal, then you should see a doctor. In fact, it’s advised that you report symptoms such as these as soon as possible to reduce the probability of any underlying conditions getting worse. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, our range of professionals at AICA Atlanta would be more than happy to help you find the right treatment options for your specific needs.