For active Asheboro NC citizens, surgery is an option for an ACL tear

Residents in Asheboro NC may find comfort in the fact that an ACL tear does not necessarily need surgery. It is surely an option for a patient but it doesn’t mean it is the only way to fix our ACL.

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It stabilizes the knee and it also prevents excessive motion of the knee joint. However, it may be injured while executing pivoting and landing movements.

ACL tears usually occur in sports. This is naturally so since athletes subject their knees to huge amounts of pressure and stress while playing. They may hurt their ACL while running, jumping and pivoting. Other patients may not need a strong ACL but it is quite different for athletes. They often undergo ACL surgery so their motion fit for competition may be restored.

Professional doctors diagnose an ACL tear by letting patients get an MRI. It is the most common method to diagnose ACL injuries as well as other knee injuries.

ACL surgery

ACL injuries may not always require surgery. Often, patients feel better after applying the RICE method – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Mediation such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen are usually recommended as well. However, for quite severe cases, instability of the knee joint, as a result of an ACLtear, poses problems and later on may prompt the need for surgery.

ACL reconstruction is the usual procedure to fix a torn ACL. In this procedure, the torn ligament is replaced with another tendon or ligament. One variation of this procedure is called anatomic ACL reconstruction. 

Anatomic ACL reconstruction places the substitute tendon precisely in the same position of the original ligament. This procedure addresses the difficulty of replicating the original ligament function. With this procedure, patients experience faster recovery.

Shoulder pain easily managed in Asheboro NC

Let’s face it, from time to time, we experience should pain. And when we do, then our day is ruined. We have trouble doing little things, like opening the garage door, combing our hair and lifting a child. We don’t need to suffer from shoulder pain since there are medical solutions easily accessible to the public.

To understand our shoulders together, we should understand first the anatomy of the shoulder.  The shoulder is a complicated structure. It is made up of several bones, tendons, muscles and even ligaments. All these work together harmoniously so our shoulders can function normally and properly.

The shoulder is made of three bones – upper arm blade, shoulder blade and collarbone. Our arm is kept in the shoulder socket by four muscles called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff stabilizes the shoulder which in turn keep our arms in the socket and shoulder movement.

For minor cases of shoulder pain, we can apply ice and rest the shoulder for a couple of days. This should help in reducing the pain and swelling. We can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to make the recovery faster

The most common cause for shoulder pain is a torn rotator cuff. It is common for tendons to get damaged or inflamed. In their movement, they are rubbed against the bone within the shoulder joint. Another causes for shoulder pain included injury, arthritis, repetitive motion, aging and bursitis. Bone concerns such as dislocation, fractures and impingement.

However, for severe cases, surgery might be required to relieve the pain. Orthopedic surgeons utilize what we call shoulder arthroscopy. This is a minimally invasive procedure used to examine or repair damaged tissues inside and around the shoulder joint.

You do not need to suffer from shoulder pain unnecessarily. It is best to seek medical help right away. We can avoid serious problems if we seek medical help immediately. 

Joint pain affects many in Asheboro NC

Whether you are from Asheboro NC or from any part of the country, suffering from joint pain is not to be neglected. Joint pains are causes by injuries, bursitis, arthritis, gout or from a sprain or strain. Among the joint pains experienced by the body, knee joint pain is the most common. This is followed by the shoulders and hip. Unfortunately, as we get older, painful joints become more common and frequent.

A joint is defined as the place where two or more bones join together. There are a few types of joints. These are:

• Hinge joints – as found in the knees and elbows allow us to move forward and backward.
• Pivot joints – allow us to turn our heads from side to side.
• Ball-and-socket joints – like the hip and shoulder permit a wide range of movement.
• Gliding joints – allow movement in the ankles and wrists
• Saddle joints – give our thumbs a specialized range of motion

Symptoms

Since the joints allow body parts to move, they are subjected to a wide range of stress. They are subject to dislocations, infections, sprains and disorders cause by arthritis. Generally, joint pain is generated from the ligaments and muscle tendons, not the bones.

Symptoms of joint pains include mild pain and swelling. These may be relieved by physical therapy and medication. For very severe pain, steroid injections are utilized.

Treatment

Orthopedic surgeons prefer to treat a joint pain non-surgically. They normally use physical therapy and rehabilitative techniques. However, there are cases that are severe already that non-surgical methods will no longer work. In these cases, surgery is already necessary, especially for tissues that cannot repair themselves.

Surgery

Arthroscopic joint surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed most commonly. Surgeons use a tiny camera to see inside the joint and special instruments to perform repairs. This procedure is commonly used by surgeons for diagnosis as well as repairing joint damage like ligament and cartilage tears. This type of surgical procedure is primarily used for the ankles, knees, wrists, shoulder and elbows.

Artificial joints have become increasingly successful these recent years. Many surgeons do this to remove irreparable joints and replace it with a plastic or metal joint.

Staying on top of your game with sports medicine doctors in Asheboro NC

When you get hurt while participating in a game or recreational activity, it is wise to call sports medicine doctors in Asheboro NC. Seeking their medical help will enable you to receive the best care available. They will do the best they can in alleviating pain and restoring the normal function of the injured body part.

Sports medicine contributions

Sports medicine doctors and physicians provide the same medical care to professional athletes and to local residents. They treat injuries to our cartilage, ligaments, bones, tendons and muscles. If our case requires surgery, they can also perform that procedure. As much as possible though, they prefer to treat injuries using non-surgical treatment.

A sports medicine doctor is probably an orthopedic surgeon also. They have undergone specialized training in the human musculoskeletal system. This means they study the human body in motion. This training coupled with years of professional practice made them experts in this field, making them very qualified to treat injuries resulting from sports or recreational activities. They are also able to recognize improper body mechanics that contribute to sports injuries. With this knowledge, they are also able to advise their patients what to do to avoid injuries in the future.

Sports medicine treatments

As a trained orthopedic surgeon, your sports medicine doctor is qualified to perform various orthopedic surgery procedures. These surgery procedures include anatomic ACL reconstructions, hip or knee replacement, rotator cuff repair, bone fractures and meniscal tears. They are also qualified to use non-surgical treatment methods such as physical therapy and rehabilitative treatment.

With these treatment procedures at their disposal, a sports medicine doctor is able to help their patients, especially athletes, get back to the game safely and quickly as possible.

Sports medicine physicians and orthopedic surgeons have made important contributions to the community as well. They share their expertise and knowledge in sports medicine to help decrease the number of sports related injuries in their local community.

For more information on sports medicine, consult with experienced orthopedic surgeons. You can also visit with their sports medicine doctor to help you understand better the human body in motion and how to properly take care of your body to prevent injuries.

Enjoyment of life is not limited by knee pain in Asheboro NC

A lot of us and even residents in Asheboro NC never think about knee pain and injuries until we suffer from it. Every day, the things we do put stress and pressure on our joints, specifically our knee joints. The tendency to suffer knee injuries dramatically rises when we play sports and have an active lifestyle.

Common knee injuries

Certain activities such as jogging, biking, jumping and even climbing stairs can lead to irritation and inflammation. These usually results to strains and sprains and injuries to the ligaments. Falling on the knees as well as severe twisting will also cause knee fractures. In short, overuse and abuse to the knees will result to knee pain and injuries.

Aside from improper motion, injuries due to sports or recreational activities, work and degenerative diseases also cause knee pain, swelling and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is one of these degenerative diseases. It often develops at the site of a previous injury.

Treatment

Treatment for knee pain and injury will vary according to how severe the condition is. For minor injuries, simple treatment like bracing, medication, rest and physical therapy is enough to relieve the pain. However, for severe cases like ACL tear and ligament problems may require knee surgery. For athletes, their sports medicine physician may perform surgeries as well to help restore the knee’s normal function.

Knee replacement surgery is a complicated procedure used to treat severely damaged knees. An example is when cartilage is worn away. What happens is bones will grate each other since there is no cartilage to protective them. Orthopedic doctor performs these types of surgeries to help their patients.

Enjoying life to the fullest requires our knees to function normally and without pain. For any symptom of knee pain or discomfort in your knees, consult immediately with orthopedic doctors to get accurate diagnosis and treatment. Remember, knee pain does not have to keep you down.