There are various reasons you could be seeing an orthopedic doctor. When entering these doctors’ offices, it is helpful to recognize the available orthopedic subspecialties.
Learning About Orthopedic Subspecialties
At South Shore Orthopedics, we offer an array of orthopedic subspecialties to fit your needs. We have doctors specialized in each of the following areas to ensure you find a solution to your problem. Each of these is important to addressing anything your body throws at you.
Sports Medicine
The orthopedic subspecialties related to sports medicine are often viewed as mainly for athletes; however, that does not have to be the case. Active people often face injuries from various activities that also require sports medicine. It is essential to find the perfect fit for your injury.
For athletes and active people, we offer services specifically for providing care and prevention for sports and activity-related injuries. While this may seem centered around fixing an injury when it occurs, our team also offers ways to prevent injury moving forward. This can also look like providing insight into physical therapy. The intent is to safely get an athlete or active person back into the game as soon as possible.
Hand Disorders & Surgery
There are many ways hands and wrists can face problems with pain and discomfort. When these disorders and injuries come up, it is essential to find a medical professional to treat them correctly. The orthopedic doctors specializing in the hand are focused on diagnosing and finding treatment for common disorders and injuries. This can look like carpal tunnel syndrome, fractures, sprains, etc.
One key factor of this subspeciality is the requirement of delicacy. The hands contain some of the most delicate parts, so the doctor must suitably work with them.
Joint Replacement
Joint replacement falls into one of the most common orthopedic subspecialties. Joints can become worn out, whether it is from age or over-use. Once the joints are analyzed, there are surgery options to replace them. Orthopedic doctors find that the hip and knee contain the most commonly replaced joints.
Foot & Ankle Care
Taking care of your feet and ankles can make everyday life much easier. Orthopedic doctors are trained in this care to treat problems when necessary. Sprains are commonly seen here.
Issues such as Achilles tendonitis are often also where these doctors thrive. The Mayo Clinic defines Achilles tendonitis as an overuse of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles in the lower leg to the heel bone. Foot and ankle specialists can address even issues associated with diabetes under this subspecialty.
Orthopedic Trauma
When a patient comes in with orthopedic trauma, this goes into another one of the orthopedic subspecialties for the doctors. Orthopedic trauma can be anything from open fractures to sprains and everything in between. Any patient that comes in with trauma is put through a comprehensive evaluation, including physical tests and imagery tests.
Once these have taken place, an orthopedic doctor can create the ideal course of action for your specific case. If surgery is required, they can get that on the schedule to prevent further damage. When trained in trauma, these doctors are aware that time is a very important aspect of an injury.
Orthopedic doctors have a variety to choose from when it comes to selecting a subspecialty. Each one comes with unique injuries to address. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons provides a guide to each orthopedic subspeciality here, where you can find even more information about each one. Do you have questions about one of these orthopedic subspecialties? Our doctors at South Shore Orthopedics would be happy to answer any of them for you. Find more information through our website or give us a call at (781) 337-5555.