Posts From May, 2021

Arthritis can leave your joints stiff and painful. You may find that you simply can’t enjoy many of your hobbies and other activities like you once did. Fortunately, an orthopedic surgeon can help alleviate or at least decrease some of this pain and stiffness. These experts understand how to diagnose, treat, and repair damage to the muscles, bones, joints, and ligaments. This includes arthritis.

Do You Need Surgery?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis, and many treatment options simply reduce the pain temporarily. This doesn’t mean your only option is to have surgery. However, it does mean that you will need to learn how to properly manage your arthritis. This is typically the first type of orthopedic treatment. The orthopedic expert will determine how bad your arthritis is and work with you to treat it. This may include using heat or cold, resting regularly, doing specific exercises, taking corticosteroid injections, or doing physical therapy.

Typically, arthritis does progress. Over time, you may find that the wear on your joints makes treatment options that once worked very well no longer as effective. In that case, it may be time for surgery.

What Are Your Surgical Options?

There are two main surgical options for arthritis. The first is joint reconstruction or repair. Here, the surgeon may remove damaged and defective tissue, may reshape the joint sockets, or use other methods to smooth out the area so your joint moves more easily. This is often successful for those who have mild to moderate arthritis.

However, for severe arthritis, joint replacement may be the only real option. Here, the arthritic bone is removed and replaced with an artificial joint. This does remove the arthritis from that joint. However, since arthritis is a progression disease, it is possible you will develop arthritis elsewhere. You won’t suffer any stiffness or pain in the replaced joint, though.

While surgery is an option, you will want to carefully consider all of the pros and cons. It can take quite some time to recover, and you will need physical therapy before you can fully return to your regular activities. It’s also possible for your body to reject the artificial joint.

If you’re dealing with arthritis, it helps to have an experienced medical professional on your side. The team here at Maximum Orthopedics can help you determine the best way of treating your arthritis. Contact us today to make an appointment.

• Posted on: May 30 2021
• By: admin

Falling on your back is a fairly common workplace injury, especially if your job involves climbing up ladders. This type of injury can be very serious, especially if you fall a good distance. Falling on your back can damage the spine, neck, and much more. Here are some of the most common injuries that can be caused by falling on your back.

You Can Fracture or Break Bones

If you fall forward, you’re likely to put your arms out to try to break your fall. This can result in breaking bones in the hands and arms. If you fall backwards, you may not necessarily put your arms out. That doesn’t mean you won’t break bones, though. It’s very possible to break your tailbone, your back, your neck, and even your ribs. If you twist as you fall, you can break a number of other bones, too.

You Can Get a Concussion

If you land on your back, it’s very possible that your head will hit the ground, too. This can lead to a concussion. This is a type of traumatic brain injury that can cause headache, difficulty concentrating, problems with your balance, and even short-term memory loss. Normally, these symptoms are temporary. However, a major blow or repeated damage to your head can cause permanent damage. If you start falling backwards, do what you can to keep your head forward to avoid damage to the brain.

Spinal Injuries

When people think of spinal injuries, they often think of being paralyzed. While paralysis can certainly happen from falling on your back, it’s not the only type of spinal injury. You may lose some range of movement, but you may also lose feeling in parts of your back or your body. You could feel tingling or burning from the damage to your nerves, or you could simply stop feeling any sensation at all. It all depends on how severe the injury is and what part of your spine was damaged.

Have you fallen on your back at work? If so, you definitely have a workers’ comp case. You need to work with an expert in both pain management and workers’ comp cases to make certain you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact the team at Maximum Orthopedics today to schedule a consultation so we can begin working on your case.

• Posted on: May 15 2021
• By: admin