As the medical fields continue to promote the benefits of exercise and healthy eating habits

Both the young and old are becoming more active. Because of this, overuse and injuries to the bones, joints, and muscles occur, especially in baby boomers.

Some of the most common conditions that require eventual treatment are those caused by degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, and arthritis, and these problems are studied by the medical specialty field of Orthopedics.

What is Orthopedics? What is Orthopedic Surgery?

What is Orthopedics or Orthopaedics?

What is Orthopedics or Orthopaedics? It is the study of the musculoskeletal system which involves the bones, joints, ligaments and tendons, muscles, and nerves. Orthopedic doctors (also known as Orthopedists or Orthopeds) specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal system problems under the associated medical fields of Orthopedics or Orthopaedics.

The training for orthopedists is intense with undergraduate, medical school, residency, subspecialty work, and often research. During their careers, orthopedists often work in an even more specialized practice or in a more defined area within the field of orthopedics, such as the following areas:

  • Hand surgery.
  • Shoulder and elbow surgery.
  • Total joint reconstruction (arthroplasty).
  • Pediatric orthopedics.
  • Foot and ankle surgery.
  • Spine surgery.
  • Musculoskeletal oncology.
  • Surgical sports medicine.
  • Orthopedic trauma.

What are Orthopedists?

Orthopedists often have a choice with the way in which they treat conditions. They can either opt for surgical or non-surgical remedies with there patients. Orthopedists who specialize in non-surgical musculoskeletal remedies include physiotherapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, podiatrists, and kinesiologists.

Those orthopedists who use medicine or surgery to remedy musculoskeletal conditions include Orthopedic surgeons. Orthopedics is effectively describing the same branch of orthopedics, depending upon the part of the world in which the orthopedist trains and lives. They use medicine and surgery to remedy conditions regarding the musculoskeletal system such as the following:

  • Hand, Foot, and Spinal Surgery.
  • Physical Therapy.
  • Prosthetics.

Joint Replacements

Joint replacement (hips, knees, shoulders) is one of the most common types of orthopedic surgeries administered in hospitals around the world. Patients often determine whether or not they need to talk with a doctor when their affected joint hurts for one or more days during a week or if the pain is consistent or interferes with sleep. Orthopedic surgeons recommend that it is time to consider joint replacement when pain makes it increasingly difficult to perform and enjoy everyday activities or if pain medications are no longer effective.

What is Orthopedic Surgery?

Reconstructive Surgery – According to many research groups, reconstructive joint implants is the field of orthopedics that is most popular. Large joint replacements such as knee replacements, hip replacement and implants for smaller joints such as the elbows, ankles, wrists, and fingers are also increasingly getting popular.

Arthroscopic Surgery – Because several diseases and injuries can damage bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, orthopedic surgeons may use arthroscopic surgery. Some common occurring conditions would include inflammation, acute or chronic injury, rotator cuff tears and dislocations, knee damage, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that orthopedic surgeons use to visualize, diagnose, and treat ongoing issues within a joint itself. There are six joints most frequently examined using this type of arthroscopic procedure: ankle, elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, and wrist. By making a small incision into the skin and inserting a pencil-size instrument inside the joint, the surgeon is able to see the image on the screen, thus making a final diagnosis and in some cases repair. In the end, this is a much more accurate process, allowing for less invasive surgery and or treatment.

Orthopedic surgeons can use both surgical and nonsurgical methods to treat their patients with the following conditions: sports injuries, infections, tumors, degenerative diseases (a neurodegenerative disease affecting tissues or organs such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease), congenital disorders (a condition that occurs before birth or within the first months of life such as down syndrome) and musculoskeletal trauma. It is the job of the orthopedic doctor to get their patients up and moving again, enjoying the pain-free activity and a higher quality of life.

So, What is Orthopedics? and What is Orthopedic Surgery? It is a very specialized area of medicine and is better defined by a certified Physician that has a defined specialty in the area of your concern.

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