INTRODUCTION
There are so many different kinds of medical doctors who can treat specific sets of conditions because treating all types of conditions and injuries which affect the human body is not possible for One physician. But an orthopedic physician can do that.
Pain is a very common reason for which 80% of people go to an orthopedic doctor. Because an orthopedic surgeon is a trained person, to treat the pain in any of your body parts such as muscles, nerves, bones, tendons, joints, ligaments, cartilage and other connective tissues ( musculoskeletal system ). So Whenever you feel pain in these factors you go to an orthopedic. Some may feel sharp or chronic pain, and some may feel acute.
An orthopedic surgeon is basically a physician and a medical doctor, who takes care of problems of the pain or injuries to the muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, joints and nerves from the base of your skull to the tips of your toes.
And pain is a feeling that comes when you get hurt, pain is the body‘s response to the feeling of getting hurt. When something is thought to be painful the body wants to protect itself from this pain, once there is pain it allows us to see the place that was hurt and stop the pain. However, if the pain keeps going then it can become worse for the patient, and this leads to changes in the body. And this can be confusing to some patients however, the definitions do follow a common theme they talk about pain being damaged or injury to the body, pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional response to actual potential bodily harm, this shows that there is more to pain than one may believe.
Pain, injury, joint stiffness and swelling can create a limited range of motion. And, in this case, you can feel painful to do household chores or exercise and even walk. And an orthopedic surgeon or specialist can help you with the range of motion and get you back to normal life.
WHEN TO GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC?
If you feel any kind of pain that disturbs you to do everyday tasks, it’s time to see an orthopedic. And some of the common pains which people often go to an orthopedic are :
Lower back pain– It is best to visit an orthopedic doctor if you are experiencing lower back pain. Because an orthopedic doctor is an expert on the musculoskeletal system. Low back pain will occur in 75% of people at some point in their lives, thankfully 90% of episodes are benign and self-limiting. We can group low back pain into four types depending on the main site of pain and positions of exacerbation, such as :
Low back pain is dominant, worse with flexion: These patients typically have worn-out discs as the source of their pain, so it hurts when they bend to lift things.
Low back pain dominant, worse with extension: These patients typically have osteoarthritis of their facet joints and or are more comfortable slouching forward.
Leg pain dominant, Constant and worse with flexion: These patients are the typical sciatica patients, which comes from a disc herniation pushing on a nerve root.
Leg pain is dominant, intermittent, and relieved by flexion ( neurogenic claudication ): these are the classic neurogenic claudication patients. they are comfortable at rest but because they have spinal stenosis when they stand up and walk they get leg pain which improves if they push a shopping cart.
Knee pain– When the ligament or cartilage gets hurt this can lead to knee pain. again orthopedic is a specialist who can solve injuries related to ligament or cartilage. And some of the common knee pains are:
Patellar chondromalacia: pain due to the soft running of the cartilage beneath the knee cap.
Patellar Bursitis: pain and inflammation located over the front of the kneecap.
Lateral collateral ligament rupture: rupture of the lateral collateral ligament as a result of sports activities.
Medial collateral ligament rupture: injury to the ligament on the inner part of the knee, and the most common in injured knee ligament.
Anterior cruciate ligament tear: this involves valgus stress to the knee.
Patellar tendonitis: inflammation and pain located inferior to the knee cap area.
Meniscal tear: cushion that protects the cartilage of the knee.
Arthritis of the knee joint: Progressive veering away of the cartilage of the joint.
Bakers cyst: swelling in the back of the knee filled with synovial fluid.
Gout: joint inflammation caused by an excessive level of uric acid in the blood.
Hip pain– Problems within the hip joint cause pain in or around the hip or the groin.
Back or neck pain– Any kind of trigger to the cervical cord or injury.
Shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand pain– Repetitive stress, injuries, or tendonitis can be a cause.
Ankle or foot pain– Authorities or normal wear and tear can be a cause.
CONCLUSION
Pain is a mix of emotions in injury, it is about the belief of what is painful and what is not. some patients with bad injuries do not feel the pain, while some patients with similar injuries feel the pain a lot, this shows that everyone manages pain differently, which makes it important for the patient to be involved in treatment. And the definition of pain varies from person to person.