An orthopedist is a specialist who treats any diseases or defects related to the musculoskeletal system. If we consider what the orthopedist cures, we can in particular note the developmental defects that are relevant for the bone system, as well as congenital forms of pathologies, complications that develop against the background of infectious diseases. In addition, this list includes traumas of domestic character and various injuries, conditions within the post-traumatic period, and diseases of the bone system. A separate direction of the specifics in the activity of the orthopedist is treatment of occupational diseases, which affect the state of the musculoskeletal system and its functions directly.
Orthopedics: Main Directions
Specialization of an orthopedic physician determines a specific direction of his activities. Let’s highlight the possible variants of this kind of directions:
- Outpatient (or conservative) orthopedics. In this case, a specialist considers the implementation of preventive measures for diseases of the musculoskeletal system in a clinic. In addition, this area is focused on the implementation of non-operative treatment measures to cure diseases of bones and joints.
- Endoprosthetics. This direction is focused on the implementation of surgical prosthetic measures to cure bones and joints, which is particularly true if it is impossible to keep them using other options for treatment.
- Surgical orthopedics. The spine, feet, teeth and brushes are the main areas of influence of this direction of orthopedics. This direction is radical in treatment, producing effect on the bones, joints and ligaments.
- Traumatology. Sports orthopedics is applied here. As treatment methods, specialists use conservative and surgical therapies, focused on injuries, which in one way or another relate to the bone system. This also includes timely fixation of fractures and measures aimed at correcting soft-tissue defects of joints and limbs, as well as measures aimed at correcting old forms of defects. Considering the fact that sports orthopedics are also included in this area, the treatment is focused on those specific injuries that athletes receive during their activities.
- Pediatric orthopedics, teenage orthopedics. This area is focused on prevention and necessary treatment of defects that are relevant for the bone system. Considering the initial definition of the groups, it can be noted that the patients in this case are children under the age of 1, as well as children of the younger age group and adolescents.
An Orthopedist: What Bodies Does This Doctor Cure?
Based on the above features, which determine the specificity of orthopedic activities as a specific specialist, My Canadian Pharmacy can summarize what conditions the orthopedist treats:
- Muscle;
- Joints;
- Tendons;
- Ligaments;
- Bones;
- Nerve endings.
The areas that the orthopedist treats most often: back, feet, shoulder blades, knee and hip joints, humerus.
Diseases Which an Orthopedist Treats
As for specific diseases, treated by an orthopedist, My Canadian Pharmacy can distinguish the following list of their main types:
- Curvature of feet;
- Flat-foot;
- Club-foot;
- Congenital diseases (dysplasia of the joints of the hip region, torticollis);
- Bursitis, arthrosis (diseases accompanied by inflammation of the periarticular bag and joints);
- Osteochondrosis (a chronic disease accompanied by spinal cord injury within certain segments of it);
- Dislocation of joints, fractures of bones;
- Ewing’s tumor;
- Rheumatoid arthritis;
- Deforming osteosis.
When Do We Need to Visit an Orthopedist?
It should be noted that the pathologies that we have mentioned above are only a small part of all possible variants, moreover, a variety of such variants is noted not only in diseases but also in treatment of injuries and diseases of the bone system. Diseases of the joints, bones, spine and ligaments, including tissues in the immediate environment of the affected area, can be, as already indicated, congenital or acquired, as well as infectious. Acquired diseases are associated with injuries, occupational injuries and metabolic disorders. Infectious – with the effect of infection and concomitant inflammation during infectious diseases.
The development of bone disorders is slow, so the first symptoms that could indicate the need for orthopedic advice can be blurred, but serious and pronounced symptoms will be noted already at the stage of a large-scale lesion, which arose against the backdrop of a pathological process. In this type of violations, it is necessary to visit the orthopedist’s office regularly, and it is important to do this from early childhood.
In this case, we are talking about his direct connection with injuries and elimination of their consequences. There is a number of reasons to visit the orthopedic traumatologist’s office:
- Fractures of bones, as a result of which there was a violation of their functions, as well as the re-transfer of fractures;
- Sustained pain in the spine, extremities and joints;
- Strains, bruises, frostbites, insect and animal bites;
- Deformities of the limbs, spine, chest, broken functions of small and large joints.
Urgent Help from an Orthopedist: Symptoms That Indicate Such a Necessity
There is a certain list of symptoms when a patient requires an urgent consultation of the orthopedist, because these symptoms can act as a kind of signal indicating the development of a serious pathological process, and, in fact, the disease. A patient requires an urgent help in the case of the following symptoms:
- Crunching in the joints, their stiffness;
- Numbness of the hands;
- Swelling of the joints, soreness during movements;
- Back pain;
- Impaired posture and a rapidly growing feeling of fatigue;
- Aching pains and aching muscles, caused by weather changes.
There is also a number of diseases, the presence of which determines the need for regular observation by a specialist. My Canadian Pharmacy points out the following types:
- Rheumatoid arthritis;
- Spinal injuries;
- Arthrosis of the joints;
- Shoulder dislocation;
- Dislocation of knee joint;
- Osteochondrosis;
- Fracture of a cervical bone.
As a preventive measure, an orthopedic specialist is necessary when a patient is actively playing sports. If you follow such a recommendation on prophylaxis, you can avoid micro-traumas in a timely manner, which in turn will help to eliminate the problems in the future.