Showing posts with label Randolph orthopedics and sports medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Randolph orthopedics and sports medicine. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Do you have chronic shoulder dislocation?

There are many people who suffer from chronic shoulder dislocation. However, this doesn't have to be a life-long problem. Orthopedic surgeons like those in Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine can perform the Bankart's Repair.


Chronic shoulder dislocation is due to a loose joint, which slips and slides inside the socket. If this pursues, it may lead to dislocation. When a surgeon performs the Bankart's Repair, he/she tightens the ligaments and repairs the labrum. Surgeons make use of fiber-optic cameras and other surgical tools that are inserted through small incisions made around the shoulder. Damaged soft tissues and bone spurs are removed and rough edges are smoothed in this surgery. Loose ligaments are also shortened then reattached for joint stabilization. Suture anchors that dissolve in time are attached to the bone to aid in healing.

Patients can usually go home on the same day of the surgery. However, special care must be taken to help the shoulder heal. This means that the patient must have lots of rest and the shoulder should be immobilized.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Should you go to an orthopedic doctor?

A lot of people, especially those who are active in sports, experience ACL strains and tears. This usually happens when a person suddenly stops after running really fast, changes direction quickly, or lands incorrectly from a jump.

How do you know if you have the injury? If you have ACL strains and tears, you will most likely feel pain and there will be swelling. These may subside after some time, but you should still see an orthopedic doctor for a check up. Most of the time, this injury worsens when ignored. Other symptoms may be limited motion and range, discomfort when walking, and tenderness in the joint.

If you notice that you are experiencing all these symptoms, go to your local orthopedic doctor in Asheboro NC and have your knees checked. You probably have ACL strains and tears and early treatment will be best for you. However, if the injury is severe, your doctor may recommend surgery to regain knee functions.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Treat Tendonitis Early On To Avoid Surgery

Are you feeling pain in your elbow? If you are, you may be suffering from tendonitis, inflamation, or irritation of the tendons. The problem areas are often the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and heels. This pain is usually caused by activities that require repetitive movement of the affected part, which eventually strains the area.

Although anyone can have it, Tendonitis is often diagnosed in patients over 40 years of age because the tendons of older people are more vulnerable to injury. If you are suffering from this, it is best to consult with your local orthopedic doctor in Asheboro NC. Your doctor can give you advice as to how you can help your tendons heal faster without undergoing surgery. Remember that it is best to treat this injury early on so you can avoid going under the knife.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Diagnosing meniscal tears in Asheboro NC

Meniscal tears are knee injuries common among athletes as well as non-athletes at almost any age and activity level. This type of injury often happens during sports when a player comes into contact with another player, and it can also occur in older adults whose menisci have weakened over time and with age. Even a motion as simple as twisting the wrong way when getting up from a chair may result in a meniscal tear for an elderly adult.
 
Symptoms of meniscal tear
Meniscal tears are often paired with a “popping” sound, much like ACL sprains and tears, however, many patients are able to continue walking. Over a few days, the knee will become stiff and swollen, and motion become limited. Common symptoms of meniscal tears include pain, swelling, a locking of the knee joint, and the knee “giving way.”
 
Physical exam and imaging tests
Meniscal tears often appear as common knee injuries. Diagnosing meniscal tears involve tests such as the McMurray test, a bending, straightening and rotating of the knee. The distinct “clicking” sound each time the knee moves is a telltale sign of meniscal tears. To rule out the possibility of other knee injuries, sports medicine doctors may order visual tests such as an X-ray or MRI before making a diagnosis.
 
If immediate treatment for meniscal tears is not sought, the meniscus can loosen and float into the joint, causing the knee to slip, pop, or lock. Serious complications brought by this type of injury can be avoided by consulting with sports medicine doctors or orthopedic surgeons at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Asheboro NC.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Common symptoms of ligament sprains and strains

Our body moves when muscles contract and make joints flex, extend, and rotate. A strain occurs when the muscle tendon is stretched or torn. Overusing and stretching a muscle results in a strain to occur.
 
Ligaments allow our joints to move in specific directions. If a ligament is stretched or torn, the injury is called a sprain.
 
Here are the common symptoms of sprains and strains when you have them:
  • Pain is always the first symptom that indicates that there is something wrong with the body. Through pain, the brain is warned that a muscle or joint should be protected from further harm. In work, exercise, or sport, the pain may be felt after a particular incident or it may gradually progress after many repetitions of a motion. 
  • Swelling is another symptom of sprain or strain and usually comes with an injury, although it may take some time for it to be noticed. When fibers of a ligament, muscle, or tendon are damaged, bleeding such as bruising on the surface of the skin can occur. 
  • The pain and swelling cause the body to protect the injured part. As a result,you may find it difficult to use the injured part of your body. For example, you cannot use your injured leg without limping.
Ligament sprains and strains are injuries that may or may not require surgery. For a complete examination of a ligament injury, orthopedic experts at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine can make a professional recommendation as well advice for treatment.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

What is a subvastus knee surgery?


People who are chronically suffering from knee pain is not something you simply shrug your shoulders and ignore. It may be a symptom of a more serious condition that could render you lame for the rest of your life if not taken cared of right away.

For people with serious knee conditions, knee replacement surgery is the only solution to remedy their complaints. You can see them walking again after the surgical procedure although you will notice that people who have undergone such surgery oftentimes carry with them a scar that can be as long as a foot long.

This is the result of the incision made by the orthopedic surgeon to repair or replace the knee joint and eliminate the recurring knee pain patients are prone to suffer. Another downside of most knee replacement is the post operation recovery that includes long period of recovery and a very painful one.

All these are eliminated by a latest subvastus approach to knee replacement surgery that the Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine are using to help their patients combat their knee pains.

The new approach to knee replacement surgery is highly recommended by Dr. Megan Swanson from the Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine because she knows the benefits and ease of recovery that her patients will experience from the subvastus knee replacement surgery approach.    

If you want to have a more detailed explanation of how this knee replacement method works, it will be best to set an appointment with Dr. Swanson. She will willingly point out every pros and cons of this particular approach so you may decide together with her if it is the right treatment for you.