What Is an Ortho Doctor and How Can They Help You?

An Ortho Doctor is also known as an orthopedic surgeon or physician. They are a medical specialist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of problems related to the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedics is a medical specialization. It deals with the conditions and disorders that affect your musculoskeletal system. This system includes bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, joints, nerves and other connective tissues.

When it comes to orthopaedic care, Miracles Apollo Cradle/Spectra stands out as a leading orthopedic hospital in Gurgaon. Renowned for its dedication to patient-centric care, cutting-edge technology, and a team of experienced orthopedic specialists, the hospital has earned its reputation as the best hospital for orthopedic treatments in the region. Your musculoskeletal health is too important to ignore. Let experts guide you toward a pain-free and mobile future.

In this blog, we will take a deep into who ortho doctors are, what they do, the conditions they treat, and how they can help you regain and maintain effective musculoskeletal health.

Who is an Ortho Doctor?

Orthopedic doctors (ortho doctors) are medical professionals with great knowledge and skills to address a range of musculoskeletal problems. They have undergone specialized training in orthopedics. They deal with problems ranging from fractures and injuries to degenerative diseases affecting the bones and joints.

What Do Orthopedic Specialists Do?

Orthopedic specialists (orthopedic surgeons), help you with specific aspects of musculoskeletal health. 

The responsibilities of ortho doctors include:

  • Diagnosis and Examination: Ortho doctors take a medical history, do physical examinations, and order different imaging tests to diagnose the problem. This allows them to find the root cause of the condition or symptoms you are experiencing.

  • Non-Surgical Treatment: Orthopedic doctors use different non-surgical treatment methods to manage and improve the conditions. These methods may include medication, physiotherapy, and lifestyle modifications.

  • Surgery: If the non-surgical treatments are not effective, orthopedic surgeons may recommend surgical treatment. This can be minimally invasive joint repairs to joint replacement surgeries or spine surgeries.

  • Rehabilitation and Recovery: Ortho doctors work closely with physiotherapists following surgery or injury to ensure a smooth recovery process. They recommend physiotherapy treatment and exercises to the patients to help them improve mobility, and restore strength, flexibility, and functionality.

  • Preventive Care: Along with the treatment of existing musculoskeletal issues, orthopedic doctors also provide preventive care. They guide the patients on preventive measures to maintain a healthy musculoskeletal system through lifestyle modifications.

Area of Specialty For Ortho Doctor 

Orthopedic specialists have in-depth knowledge about musculoskeletal systems but some ortho doctors choose to specialize further. Some subspecialty areas of orthopedics include:

The most common areas of specialization include:

  • Joint Replacement Surgery: Orthopedic surgeons specialize in different joint replacement procedures. This may include hip, knee, shoulder and elbow replacement. The replacement of a joint is typically recommended in the case of joint damage or severe arthritis, This helps improve joint function and relieve pain.

  • Trauma and Fracture Care: Orthopedic trauma surgeons specialize in treating injuries and fractures that occur from traumatic events. These events may include accidents or falls.

  • Sports Medicine: Ortho doctors specialized in sports medicine, work with athletes. They specialize in diagnosing, treating, and preventing sports-related injuries to help them enhance performance.

  • Spine Surgery: Orthopedic spine surgeons focus on addressing conditions affecting the spinal cord. These conditions may include herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and spinal deformities. 

  • Pediatric Orthopedics: Pediatric ortho doctors are specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of different musculoskeletal conditions in children. They help in the proper growth and development of children.

What Types of Conditions Do Ortho Doctors Treat?

Orthopedic specialist doctors treat a wide range of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system. These conditions include:

Pains:

Trauma:

  • Bone Fractures: A partial or total break in bone is known as bone fracture. They include simple fractures, stress fractures, and complex fractures.

  • Dislocations: When bones lose their normal alignment in a joint.

  • Sprains and Strains: Injuries to ligaments and tendons, cause pain and inflammation.

Degenerative Conditions:

  • Arthritis: It is an inflammation of the joints. There are different types of arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout.

  • Osteoporosis: It is a condition that weakens bones and increases the risk of bone fracture

  • Tendonitis: It is an inflammation of a tendon. It usually causes pain and difficulty moving.

Sports Injuries:

  • ACL Tears: Injury or sprain to the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee.It is treated by Arthroscopic technique/ Keyhole technique.

  • Rotator Cuff Injuries: Tears or inflammation in the shoulder tendons. The tears can be partial or complete thickness tears.

  • Shin Splints: The common exercise-related overuse injuries. It refers to the pain along the inner edge of the tibia(shinbone).

  • Meniscus Tear:  It is common in sports people who play football, basketball and skiing. Meniscus tear is a tear in the rubbery cartilage pads that cushion the knee joint. These tears can cause pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the knee. It can be repaired using arthroscopic repair procedures.

Congenital Disorders:

  • Scoliosis: This is abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. Often diagnosed during childhood or early adolescence.

  • Clubfoot: Deformity of the foot at birth  that affects muscles and bones in the feet

  • Hip Dysplasia: It is a malformation of the hip joint. This condition is most common in babies and young children.

Other Conditions:

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: It is a compression of a nerve in the wrist. This condition causes pain, tingling, burning sensation, and numbness.

  • Tumors: Both benign and malignant tumors affect bones and soft tissues.

  • Damaged Joints: The wear and tear of joints that cause damage. Orthopedic surgeons replace the damaged joints with artificial ones via surgical intervention. 

What Types of Procedures Do an Orthopedic Doctor Do?

Orthopedic doctors perform a wide range of procedures to treat conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system. These procedures range from non-surgical treatment to minimally invasive and complex surgeries. The type of procedure chosen depends on the condition of the patient. 

Let's have a detailed look at some common types of procedures performed by ortho doctors:

Non-Surgical Treatment:  Ortho doctors use a variety of non-surgical methods as a first line of treatment for musculoskeletal issues. These treatments help manage pain, improve function, and prevent complications.  

The common non-surgical treatment techniques include:

  • Medications: Ortho doctors recommend different types of medications such as painkillers, and anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications help in managing pain, inflammation, and swelling related to musculoskeletal problems.

  • Physiotherapy: Orthopedic doctors recommend physiotherapy treatment which involves exercises and electrotherapy to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and restore range of motion.

  • Lifestyle Modification: Your orthopedic specialist may help you improve your musculoskeletal health with lifestyle modification. This modification may include a change in eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight, practicing good posture, and avoiding activities that worsen symptoms.

  • Injections: Ortho doctors prescribe injections to help reduce inflammation and pain in joints and soft tissues.

Minimally Invasive Technique: When non-surgical treatments aren't adequate, orthopedic surgeons recommend minimally invasive procedures. These techniques involve small incisions and specialized instruments, leading to faster recovery and reduced risks.

The minimally invasive technique includes:

  • Arthroscopy/Keyhole Technique: This is a minimally invasive procedure. It uses a tiny camera and surgical instruments inserted through small incisions. This procedure is performed to diagnose and treat joint problems such as cartilage tears, ligament injuries, and meniscal tears.

Surgical Techniques: In some cases, surgery may be necessary to repair damaged structures, correct deformities, or replace diseased joints. These surgical procedures may offer long-term benefits. 

The most common surgical techniques include:

Joint Replacement: 

  • Knee Replacement: This involves replacing the damaged knee joint with an artificial one. The type of knee replacement surgery depends on the severity of the condition. It can be partial knee replacement, total knee replacement, knee cap replacement, or revision knee replacement. It helps manage pain and dysfunction that is caused by various conditions such as arthritis, injuries, or other knee problems.  We perform the bone preserving or ligament sparing knee replacement, called CR knee resurfacing which ensures very quick recovery.

  • Hip Replacement: This procedure replaces the damaged hip joint with an artificial one. It helps alleviate pain and improve mobility in patients with arthritis, fractures, or other hip conditions. Depending on the patient's condition ortho surgeons recommend a specific type of hip replacement surgery. It can be a total hip replacement, partial hip replacement, or hip resurfacing.We specialize in MIS techniques of hip replacement.

  • Shoulder Replacement: When the shoulder joint is severely damaged due to arthritis, fractures, or other conditions, orthopedic surgeons may recommend shoulder replacement surgery. This surgical procedure replaces the damaged joint with an artificial one.

Spinal Surgery:

  • Spinal Fusion: This surgical procedure involves permanently joining two or more vertebrae together. This procedure is recommended for different spine conditions such as spinal stenosis, herniated discs, or other spinal conditions. This helps in achieving stability and relieves pain.

  • Laminectomy: This surgery involves removing part of the bone covering the spinal cord. It is recommended to treat spinal stenosis or herniated discs and helps relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. 

  • Discectomy: The herniated disc is a bulging disc that puts pressure on nerves and causes symptoms such as pain, numbness, or weakness. The discectomy surgical procedure removes a herniated disc.  

Soft Tissue Repair. This surgical procedure is used to repair severely damaged soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, or tendons.

Fracture Repair:  This surgery involves realigning the broken bones and fixing them in the right place using rods, plates, and screws. This surgical procedure aims at proper healing.

When To See an Ortho Doctor?

You should consult an orthopedic specialist if you are experiencing any of the symptoms that affect your musculoskeletal health.

The symptoms may include:

Constant or Recurring Pain or Swelling:

  • Pain or swelling in bone, joint, or muscle lasts for more than a few days. You should not ignore it especially if it interferes with your sleep or day-to-day activities.

  • Pain that is accompanied by redness, or warmth.

  • Pain or swelling that worsens with activity or any movement.

Limited Mobility:

  • A decrease in mobility and you are finding difficulty moving a joint or limb through its full range of motion. 

  • Experience stiffness or tightness in your joints, especially in the morning or after inactivity.

  • Experience weakness or instability in a joint.

Deformities:

  • Changes in the alignment or shape of joints or bones.

  • Leg length is not equal.

  • Bending or curvature of the spine.

Injury:

A sudden or severe injury to your bones, joints, or muscles.

Other Symptoms:

  • Numbness or tingling sensation in your legs or arms.

  • Cracking or popping sounds in your joints.

  • Difficulty performing your day-to-day activities such as lifting objects, walking, or climbing stairs.

How to Find an Ortho Doctor?

If you are looking for an orthopedic doctor for your problems related to the musculoskeletal system. Some steps that you can follow:

  • Referral: Ask your physician. They can refer you to the best orthopedic doctor in your area.

  • Ask your family or friends: You can ask your family members or friends if they know any orthopedic doctors. 

  • Search online: You can search on Google for “the best orthopedic doctors near me”. This will help you with the list of ortho doctors in your nearby area.

Conclusion:

Ortho doctors play an important role in individuals of all ages. Whether you are suffering from pain, acute condition, chronic condition, or dealing with injury, consulting the ortho doctor can help you improve your quality of life. They help improve or maintain musculoskeletal health. Orthopedic doctors offer different treatment methods to reduce pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall health. They combine medical expertise and a patient-centered approach to improve the quality of life for countless individuals around the globe.

Miracles Healthcare, as a leading orthopedic hospital in Gurgaon, is ready to be your trusted partner in this journey. Experience the complete, compassionate, and successful orthopedic care that countless individuals have entrusted for their musculoskeletal health.

Miracles Healthcare offers comprehensive healthcare services through multiple facilities: Miracles Apollo Cradle, Miracles Apollo Cradle/Spectra, Miracles Fertility & IVF Clinic, and Miracles Mediclinic. Our facilities are located in Sec 14, Sec 56, and Sec 82, making daily healthcare more convenient for the people of Gurgaon.

If you are seeking treatment for your musculoskeletal health issues, Miracles Healthcare is a name you can trust for quality orthopedic care in Gurgaon. Take the first step towards a more active life. Contact Miracles Healthcare today to schedule your consultation with a renowned orthopaedic doctor in Gurgaon.

Comments

Post a comment