During your lifetime, you may visit an orthopedic doctor, especially those who suffer from chronic or acute back or neck pain. It is also valid for those who sprain their ankles or suffer from bunions. Yet, who are orthopedic doctors and what exactly do they do?
Origin of Orthopaedics
In the beginning, patients receiving orthopedic treatment were children who suffered from debilitating diseases or crippling conditions. The term, itself, indicated the intended focus of these early specialists. Orthopedics is a combination of two ancient Greek words: “ortho” meaning straight, and “paideia” meaning child rearing. Today, orthopedics does not restrict itself to the conditions affecting children. Doctors in this field specialize in the study and research of the musculoskeletal system of all individuals – children and adult.
What Is the Musculoskeletal System?
The musculoskeletal system is responsible for ensuring your body has movement and support. It is an intricately connected mixture of various essential components. The major ones are:
Bones
Cartilage
Joints
Ligaments
Muscles
Nerves
Tendons
These, together with other connective tissues bind together other tissues and vital organs. This is the system orthopedic doctors understand and work with.
What Do Orthopedic Doctors Do?
An orthopedic doctor treats various conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system. They range from bunions in the feet to osteoporosis in the bones and pinched nerves and other issues that damage the neck and back. A specialist in this area is familiar with every inch of your skeleton and its connective bodies as it runs from your feet to the top of your head.
Within this field of medical study and practice, you also find doctors who specialize in a specific branch. They may decide to focus on and become experts in any of the following areas:
Disc Issues: specialists may focus only on the spine and the discs of the back and neck. Issues may be degenerative or herniated discs.
Joints Concerns: among these are such common ones as arthritis, bursitis, dislocation and swelling.
Ligament Problems: tearing of the ligaments remains a concern as do both ACL and PCL injuries.
Nerve Problems: the most common concern here is pinched nerves.
Problems of the Bones: these include breaks, deformities e.g. hammer toes or club foot, infections and tumors.
Doctors may also choose to focus on treating a certain body part such as the neck, back or feet and ankles. They may also restrict their practice to medical or surgical approaches.
Consulting an Orthopedic Doctor
If you suffer from an injury related to trauma or repetitive motion that affects the ability of your bones, nerves, joints or tendons, you should see a specialist. The same applies if your joints, bones or feet ache constantly. In fact, if you want to prevent further damage to your musculoskeletal system, your best option is to consult a highly skilled professional – an orthopedic doctor.
At Suburban Orthopaedics, you can be assured that your needs will be handled by a skilled and Board-Certified orthopedic doctor or other medical professional. Their highly-trained staff excels in everything from foot surgery to customer service. If you require a consultation or treatment, or simply want to talk about your options, contact them online at www.suburbanortho.com. You can follow them on Twitter for further news and updates!
