ACL tears can lead to innovative ACL surgery in Asheboro NC

ACL tears and other knee ligament injuries in Asheboro NC, and nationwide, have almost tripled in the past decade. And why?  Perhaps people are living more active lives these days, exercising more, playing more organized sports, spending more time outdoors.  Perhaps more of those same people who have been living more active lives all along are now getting older, with weakened knee joints that are susceptible to twisting or overextension.  Most ACL tears tend to happen in people older than 40.

What is the ACL?

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is the major stabilizing force in your knee. The ligament is a broad, thick cord about the size of your index finger and its long collagen strands weave together to sustain forces of up to 500 pounds. This ligament extends from the back of yourthigh bone to the top of your shin bone, and when there is an ACL tear, the joint loses its stability. The ACL begins to unravel, and the entire joint is compromised. Destruction of knee cartilage is certain to occur. ACL surgery can eliminate further damage to your knee.

What causes an ACL tear?

An ACL tear often happens during sports and is quite common in basketball, soccer, skiing, football, and other sports with lots of weaving, jumping, and stop-and-go movements.Your ACL can be injured if you fall on your knee joint,or the joint is hit, bent side to side or backward, or is twisted. Sudden stops or jerky movement also can cause damage to the ACL joint. The chance of injury to the ACL is increased when more than one of these damaging movements occurs at once.  Falling off a ladder and walking on uneven ground are also likely causes. ACL tears reportedly happen more often in women athletes than in male athletes, suggesting to some orthopedists that women are more anatomically prone to ACL injury because they have wider hips and weaker hamstrings, putting more pressure on their knee joints.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of an acute ACL tear include: Knee feels unstable, buckles; pain on the outside and back of the knee; feeling or hearing a pop at the time of injury; knee swells within the first few hours of the injury. Swelling that occurs suddenly is usually a sign of a serious knee injury; limited knee movement because of pain or swelling or both; pain will likely stop you from your activity, but you may still be able to walk.

ACL strains and sprains are relatively minor and simple to treat, but with an ACL tear, early ACL surgery usually leads to the best outcome. ACL surgery is one of the most common knee operations performed by orthopedic surgeons today.

Treatment for ACL tear

Minor ACL tears, caused by ACL strains and sprains, can sometimes respond well to non-surgical treatment which includes ice, compression, and elevation, plus a brace to protect the knee, crutches, and pain relievers. However, often ACLsurgery is required. The ACL is crucial for maintaining joint stability, but when it is torn, the ACL unravels like a braided rope. Because it has a relatively poor blood supply, the ACL does not have the ability to heal on its own. Complete ruptures of the ligament produce bleeding into the knee, causing swelling in the joint. ACL reconstruction is the type of ACL surgery that is most often performed to repair an ACL tear.

What is anatomic ACL reconstruction?

ACL surgery is a common treatment for an ACL tear. Anatomic ACL reconstruction surgery is an advanced innovative procedure using your own ligament tissue taken from another part of your body, such as your hamstring. Using this natural material and placing it in exactly the same position as your original, your ACL reconstruction will heal better, function more naturally, do a better job stabilizing your knee, and help decrease your risk of further knee injury. Dr. Jeffrey Yaste is qualified and experienced in this exciting new procedure. 

How can you relieve yourself from arthritis?

Are you suffering from painful knees? When a person reaches 50, knee pain is already felt even when doing common daily activities such as walking. Most of the time, orthopedic doctors address this problem with the use of medications, rest, exercise, and physical therapy. However, when knee pain due to arthritis has become severe, the best option is knee surgery.

If your orthopedic doctor recommends surgery, ask about subvastus knee replacement surgery. Unlike traditional knee surgery, patients do not need to go through a major operation that leaves them with a huge scar and a long recovery time.

In subvastus knee replacement, orthopedic surgeons basically avoid major muscles and tendons. This minimally invasive surgery significantly reduces recovery time; therefore shortening hospital stay.

Are you interested? Dr. Megan Swanson of offers subvastus knee replacement surgery for patients who want a minimally invasive operation to relieve themselves from knee pain. It's time to say goodbye to painful knees and say hello to a more active life -- even after 50!

What is joint replacement?

The mere thought of joint replacement surgery can be scary. However, there is nothing to fear about this procedure since it is now a very common service offered by orthopedic surgeons.

Today, more and more people are wanting to become active... even in their old age. You will notice this in gyms, tennis courts, ski resorts, and parks where more people in their 40s are now active in. Unfortunately, as a person becomes older, the body can no longer perform as well as it used to and recovery from injuries becomes more difficult. For older people trying to be more active, then, tend to overuse the body. This leads to injuries on joints, which can be extremely painful.

Joint replacement surgery is not the first option when it comes to painful joints. Most of the time, orthopedic doctors will recommend medications or physical therapy. However, if these do not work, then patients will have to go through joint replacement.

During this procedure, orthopedic surgeons remove damaged parts of the joints and replace those parts with man-made materials. The materials used are made to help the joint function like normal. Joint replacement can last up to a decade and will relieve patients from joint pain in this duration.

To know more about joint replacement and if it is the best option for you, talk to an orthopedic surgeon.

Back pain treatment a priority for Asheboro, North Carolina orthopedic specialists

Orthopedic doctors know that back pain has a detrimental impact on a life of an individual as well as those who live with him or her. Common causes of back pain include:

 

1. Chronic back pain
2. Strenuous activity
3. Injury

Types of back pain

There are two types of back pain, acute and chronic. When the pain lasts for a few days to weeks, it is considered acute. Asheboro, North Carolina residents are prone to acute back pain because of too much strenuous activity or injury. Acute pain is classified as nociceptive, it means it’s coming from a clear source. Somatic pain is associated with the thighs and back. An orthopedic doctor is able to identify the source of the pain and can then isolate that part for treatment.

On the other hand, chronic back pain lasts for more than three months. For chronic back pain patients, the source may be nociceptive or neuropathic. Neurophatic pain does not have a clear source. Chronic back pain can lead to a disruption in sleeping and quality of life. Personality changes, such as depression and irritability may arise. Asheboro, North Carolina orthopedic specialists understand that pain is real and can patients manage their pain effectively.

Back pain treatment

There are many products that promise treatment to back pain. However, let us be wise not to trust in them entirely. It is wise to seek professional and competent consultation before purchasing and using any of these products.

Asheboro, NC orthopedic doctors recommend a variety of treatment programs for acute back pain. These include physical therapy, medications, exercises, injections and alternative therapies. They are committed to help you define a treatment program that is workable and comfortable for you. When they prescribed medication, they monitor its usage to ensure safety.

For chronic back pain patients, orthopedic doctors can develop a treatment program designed to minimize the pain and restore a healthy lifestyle. Don’t disregard chronic back pain or practice self-medication. Be wise and let orthopedic doctors help you. If you do so, you will give yourself the opportunity to heal properly and safely and avoid problems in the future.

Orthopedic doctors in Asheboro NC help citizens relieve back pain

Since 1796, Asheboro, NC has been home to hearty and hale citizens. Asheboro’s citizens, as healthy and active as they are, suffer from occasional and even chronic back pain. Fortunately, Asheboro, North Carolina is home to the finest orthopedic doctors who treat acute and chronic back pain.

Weekend warriors

Asheboro, NC is a haven for weekend warriors. They are those who pack their weekend with as much fun and activity as they can. There is so much to do in Asheboro, that’s why it will not be a surprise if people overextended themselves. However, after all the fun, back pain is the next thing weekend warriors usually had to deal with. What our backs feel is the first indication that we probably did too much. We should be careful because back pains often lead to missed work, missing the deadline at work and a visit to the doctor. Orthopedic doctors specializes in back and they help us in determining whether our problem with our backs is either acute – relatively shore in duration or chronic – lasting more than three months.

Causes and signs of chronic back pain

Obviously, back pain is not hard to miss. From aching muscles to a sharp sudden pain that extends to a leg, or limited mobility and flexibility to the inability to stand upright are clear signs of back pain. Usually, these are acute and brought about by a heavy day’s work or an injury. Ironically, chronic back pain is a result of working in what we call a sedentary job. It means a job that requires sitting down for a long period. Without exercise and movement, the back becomes vulnerable to chronic back pain. Other contributors to chronic back pain are smoking, aging and simply being female. Whatever the reason may be, orthopedic doctors are experts in treating back pains.

Back pain as a symptom

Others may think that there is no treatment to back pain and should be tolerated. The question now is it necessary to live in pain? Specialists can help us find treatment and relief to back pain. We may not know it but back pains may be a symptom of another illness. For this reason, it is better to consult with orthopedic doctors to make sure needs to be done so we can maintain the peak level of our health.

What are treatments for shoulder pain?

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows a person to move in wide range of motions. Once it is injured, shoulder pain can limit movement and eventually affect a person's day-to-day activities. When this happens, it is important to see an orthopedic surgeon for possible treatments.

There are many causes of shoulder pain. Some have it because of arthritis, others because of complications from diabetes. Most of the time, though, shoulder pain is felt by recreational and professional athletes. These people are those who either injure the shoulder or overuse it.

When shoulder pain is felt, orthopedic surgeons often recommend non-surgical treatments first. Such treatments include physical therapy, medications, and steroid injections. If these do not work, shoulder surgery will be required. There are three types of surgery: arthroscopic shoulder surgery, open surgery, and mini-open surgery. The least invasive of the three is arthroscopic surgery, making it the operation that takes the least time for healing.

If you suffer from shoulder pain and are interested in shoulder surgery, consult with an orthopedic surgeon to know if you are qualified.