Orthopedic Disorders
Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are common conditions that cause pain, swelling, and limited movement. They affect joints and connective tissues around the body. Millions of people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis.
Orthopedic surgeons use arthroscopy to diagnose and treat joint problems. An arthroscope is a small, tube shaped instrument that is used to look inside a joint.
Taking arthritis medicine is important, but what you do for yourself, including exercising, doing relaxation exercises and managing your emotions and attitudes, is just as crucial to your ability to lead an active, productive life.
Detailed information on the most common orthopedic disorders, including arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, elbow pain, elbow problems, cubital tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), medial epicondylitis (golfers el
Cubital tunnel syndrome happens when the ulnar nerve, which passes through the inside of the elbow, is injured and becomes inflamed, swollen, and irritated. The pain of cubital tunnel syndrome feels like the pain you feel when you hit your "funny bone."
Members of your treatment team may include an orthopedic surgeon, a rheumatologist, and a physical therapist. Read on for details.
Detailed information on elbow pain and problems
To help the orthopedist determine your treatment, you'll need a physical exam, a medical history profile, and a description of symptoms.
Getting regular exercise is an important way to improve your health. Here are some tips to help you create a fitness program that's right for you.
Foot pain is often caused by incorrect foot function. Shoes that don't fit well can make foot problems worse and, in some cases, cause them.
A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. Read on for details about causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Common hand problems include arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and ganglion cysts.
It can sometimes be confusing whether to use heat or cold when treating sore muscles or an injury. Here are facts to keep in mind.
Joint replacement surgery removes and replaces an arthritic or damaged joint with an artificial joint. Read on to learn how to get ready for the procedure, and possible complications.
Jumper's knee is caused by overuse of your knee joint, such as frequent jumping on hard surfaces. It's usually a sports-related injury, linked to leg muscle contraction and the force of hitting the ground.
Common knee problems include sprains, strains, torn cartilage, and arthritis.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is swelling of the tendons that bend your wrist backward away from your palm. It often develops from the force of the tennis racket hitting balls in the backhand position. It can also develop from other repetitive movements.
Learn about the 4 major ligaments of the knee, and about common injuries, symptoms, and treatment.
Medial epicondylitis causes pain from the elbow to the wrist on the inside (medial side) of the elbow. Read on to learn about this condition.
Your neck is at risk for injury because of its location and range of motion. Neck pain can be caused by injury, age, or inflammatory disorders.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a chronic degenerative joint disease that affects mostly middle-aged and older adults. Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of joint cartilage. It can occur in any joint, but it most often affects the hands, knees, hips, or spine.
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes weak, thinning bones. This leaves the bones at greater risk of breaking. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists.
Exercise is good for people of all ages. It helps lower blood pressure, reduces the risks for falls and serious injuries, and slows the body's loss of muscle and bone mass.
Read on for helpful steps to take to prevent sports injuries.
Detailed information on shoulder pain and the most common types of shoulder problems.
Detailed information on the most common types of soft-tissue injuries.
Between the bones of the knees are two crescent-shaped disks of connective tissue, called menisci, which also act as shock absorbers to cushion the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body. Meniscus tears can happen when twisting while bearing weight.
For most orthopedic disorders and injuries, more than one form of treatment may be appropriate.
A lumbar strain is an injury to the lower back. This results in damaged tendons and muscles that spasm and feel sore.
A spine affected by kyphosis has a forward curvature of the back bones (vertebrae) in the upper back area, giving an abnormally rounded or humpback appearance.
A hip fracture is a break in the thigh bone (femur) of your hip joint. The majority happen to people older than 60 years of age, and women get more hip fractures than men.
What is a contusion? A sprain? A strain? Find out more about these common sports injuries.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome means that you have dull pain around the front of the knee (patella). This is where the knee connects with the lower end of the thighbone (femur).
A spine affected by scoliosis shows a sideways curvature and a rotation of the vertebrae, giving the appearance that the person is leaning to one side.
Shin splints refers to pain and tenderness along or just behind the large bone in the lower leg (the tibia).
Stress fractures are weak spots or small cracks in the bone caused by continuous overuse. They often occur in the foot after training for basketball, running, and other sports.
Hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty) is surgery to replace a worn out or damaged hip joint. The surgeon replaces the old joint with an artificial joint (prosthesis). This surgery may be a choice after a hip fracture or for severe pain because of arthritis.
Paget disease of the bone is a chronic bone disorder. It causes bones to become enlarged and deformed. Bone may become dense, but fragile, because of excessive breakdown and deformation of bone. The disease is the most common bone disorder after osteoporosis in people older than age 50.
Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sac (bursa) that cushions and reduces friction between tissues of the body. Read on to learn details about this condition.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain in muscles and soft tissues all over the body. It is an ongoing (chronic) condition. It can affect your neck, shoulders, back, chest, hips, buttocks, arms and legs.
Many sports injuries can be prevented with proper conditioning and training, wearing appropriate protective gear, and using proper equipment.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term (chronic) disease that causes inflammation of the joints. The inflammation can be so severe that it affects how the joints and other parts of the body look and function.
Women develop carpal tunnel syndrome 3 times more frequently than men. It usually occurs only in adults.
Everyone has experienced low back pain at one time or another. Most people can recover from low back pain with home treatment, such as changes in activity, weight loss, quitting smoking, and other steps. Sometimes medicine or surgery is needed.
This therapy targets the sympathetic nervous system, a series of nerves that spread out from your spine to your body to help control several body functions, including blood flow.
In the simplest of terms, an epidural corticosteroid (steroid) injection is a way to deliver pain medicine quickly into the body with a syringe.
Corticosteroid injections can treat many skeletal, muscular, and spinal conditions. Some of these injections can be done by your healthcare provider during a routine clinic visit. Others need a referral to a pain specialist.
When used to treat injuries at home, cryotherapy refers to cold therapy with ice or gel packs that are usually kept in the freezer until needed. These remain one of the simplest, time-tested remedies for managing pain and swelling.
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a type of pain management that allows you to decide when you will get a dose of pain medicine. You don't need to wait for a nurse, and you can get smaller doses of pain medicine more often.
A compression fracture is a type of break in the bones in your back that stack up to form your spine. A compression fracture can cause back pain, limited movement, a decrease in height, and a stopped over posture. It often develops as a result of osteoporosis.
When the disks themselves are causing back pain or pain radiating to the legs, healthcare providers sometimes do an intradiscal procedure to try to ease the pain.
Spinal cord compression can occur anywhere along your spine. Symptoms include numbness, pain, and weakness.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in your lower back that may cause pain or numbness in your legs. Read on for details about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Achilles tendon injuries affect the Achilles tendon, a fibrous band of tissue that links the muscles in your calf to your heel. The strength and flexibility of this tendon are important for jumping, running, and walking.
Detailed information on the most common orthopedic disorders, including arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, elbow pain, elbow problems, cubital tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), medial epicondylitis (golfers el
When your knee is badly damaged by disease or injury, an artificial knee replacement may be considered. During knee replacement surgery, your joint surfaces are replaced by prostheses. These are plastic and metal parts that are used to replace your joint surfaces. Read on to learn more.
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