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Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Hey everyone, my name is Belinda. When I was a young girl, I injured the muscles in my legs performing complex gymnastic moves. I was under the care of an orthopedist for several months during the recovery period. I had to complete a number of strengthening exercises to regain my range of motion and mobility. The orthopedist performed regular examinations to determine if the given treatment was working. I will use this site to talk about different orthopedic treatments. I hope you will visit my site often to learn about this fascinating subject.

Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Wrist Pain: Do You Need To Seek Orthopedic Care Soon?

by Stanley Pierce

If your wrist hurts and you don't know why, seek orthopedic care soon. Wrist pain develops from a number of things, including soft tissue sprains and bone fractures. The joints, ligaments, nerves, and tendons in your wrist may also be damaged. Knowing more about your wrist pain can help you find the orthopedic care you need for it.

What Causes Wrist Pain?

Your wrists contain many different types of tissues, including multiple joints and small bones. The joints in your wrists allow you to move your hands in many different ways, including back and forth. Some types of movements or actions can wear down or injure your wrist joints, including typing on a keyboard, swinging a tennis racket, or using gardening tools.

It's also possible to develop wrist problems if you have arthritis, diabetes, or tendonitis. Conditions like these can cause strain in the tendons, ligaments, and cartilage in your wrist. If the conditions don't run in your family, you might not associate your wrist pain with these health issues.

An orthopedic doctor can help you determine why and where your wrist hurts.

How Does Orthopedic Care Reduce Wrist Pain?

The first thing an orthopedist may do is run imaging tests on your wrist, such as X-rays and bone scans. The imaging tests can reveal the:

  • overall condition of the bones and joints in your wrist
  • location of the injury in your wrist
  • type of injury in your wrist

The tests may also uncover problems with the nerves in your wrist. If the nerves in your wrist became trapped, pinched, or compressed between the joints (also known as nerve compression syndrome), it can cause nerve pain and inflammation. Because many conditions can cause nerve compression syndrome in adults, an orthopedist may need to complete additional tests on your wrist to determine which condition you have. 

Once the cause of your wrist pain becomes clear, an orthopedic doctor can provide the treatment you need. Treatment can include:

  • surgery to decompress the nerves in your wrist 
  • surgery to repair the joints, tendons, or muscles in your wrist
  • medication to control the inflammation or infection in your wrist
  • therapy to improve movement your wrist

You may or may not need one or more of the options above. 

If your wrist hurts for no apparent reason, and you've tried everything possible to treat it at home, contact an orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon for care.

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