What do orthopedic surgeons do?
In many cases, most people won’t ever think about what an orthopedic surgeon is (or what they do) until they’ve broken a bone or started to experience pain in a muscle, joint, nerve or tendon.
An orthopedic surgeon is a physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders, injuries, and conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system which includes bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and tendons.
Orthopedic surgeons provide both surgical and non-surgical treatments to help their patients alleviate pain and recover from injuries.
Most orthopedic surgeons will provide a treatment plan that avoids surgery, but in many cases, it may be required if the patient doesn’t see positive results from conventional non-surgical treatment options.
When should I see an orthopedic surgeon?
In many cases, you’ll be referred to an orthopedic surgeon by your primary physician or physical therapist to treat a specific condition. If you’ve been experiencing any of the following, you may want to consider visiting our office:
- Traumatic bodily injury and/or broken bones, deformities
- Pain lasting more than 3 days
- Injury on the job
- Ongoing swelling in your joints
- Joint instability
- Decreased range of motion that doesn’t improve with physical activity
