OrthoOklahoma

Common Orthopedic Conditions

Knee Arthritis

Do your knees feel achy and painful each step you take?  Is it becoming increasingly difficult for you to comfortably climb stairs, run or even walk?  Are your knees swollen or stiff and often feel “locked” or as if they “buckle?”

Arthritic knees are a common complaint seen by your OrthoOklahoma team. With three different forms of arthritis, trust your physician to thoroughly examine, accurately diagnose and determine the best course for you.

• Osteoarthritis– The most common form of knee arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that progresses slowly, wearing down your joint’s cartilage. Patients most often are middle age to later in life.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) – A serious inflammatory arthritis and chronic autoimmune disease. In addition to the traditional arthritis symptoms, RA can cause fever, fatigue and flu-like symptoms. RA most frequently affects women and can occur at any age.
• Post-Traumatic Arthritis– Develops after an injury to a joint. Post-traumatic arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis and can occur years after your injury has healed.

After a full examination, trust your OrthoOklahoma doctor to recommend a variety of treatment options for you.  Each patient is different and requires different treatment. Common treatments include:

• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Lifestyle modifications such as exercise or weight loss
• Supportive devices
• Injections
• Anti-inflammatory Medications
• Surgical repair

 

Frozen Shoulder

Do you wonder why are you losing the motion and use of one arm? Is dull, achy shoulder pain stopping you from completing every day tasks?  Are you avoiding favorite pastimes and activities because you know your shoulder inhibits you?

You may suffer from frozen shoulder, which develops when you stop using your shoulder joint normally and regularly. This may be because of pain, injury, poor surgery recovery or a chronic disease such as diabetes or arthritis.

“Often pain is the first symptom and continues to worsen, making you uncomfortable using the shoulder. With less use, your shoulder continues to lose range of motion until it is almost completely frozen. Almost 1 in 50 people experience frozen shoulder at some point in their lifetime. Patients between 40 and 60 years old are most commonly affected, and women are slightly more likely to develop it.”

– Dr. Brett Jameson

Benefit from OrthoOklahoma’s expertise in the treatment of frozen shoulder and get back to normal activities.  Physical therapy is the primary treatment for frozen shoulder to regain range of motion. Depending on the stage and extent of your condition, other treatment options include:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Steroid injections
• Surgical repair

 

Hand and Wrist Injuries

Your hands, fingers and wrists get a lot of use every day. From opening a jar to swinging a golf club, you need them to fully function to fully live your life.

Don’t endure lingering or recurrent pain and swelling. Too often hand and wrist conditions or injuries are ignored, leading to further damage and increased discomfort. Let your OrthoOklahoma team evaluate your hand and wrist to understand your specific problem.

“The two primary causes of hand and wrist pain are sports injuries and repetitive overuse. With sports injuries, higher speed and higher impact activities naturally lead to higher rates of injury. Patients often brace themselves during a fall with their hands, leaving their hands and wrists to absorb the force. This leads to sprains, strains, fractures and torn ligaments. Repetitive motion, such as typing or playing the piano, is regularly the culprit of conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendon pain.”

– Dr. Scott Stubbs.

Depending on the cause, extent and age of your injury or condition, your OrthoOklahoma specialist may recommend treatments such as:

• Heating or icing
• “Buddy-taping”, taping the injured finger to an adjacent finger
• Avoiding activities that aggravate the problem
• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Support with a brace, splint or cast
• Injections
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Surgical repair

 

Knee Pain

Do you wince in pain during normal activities like walking, climbing or kneeling? Are you concerned about recurring knee swelling? Do words like pop, lock and crunchdescribe your knee joints? Does your knee regularly give out or feel weak?

Are you nodding yes to any of these? You should consult an OrthoOklahoma bone and joint specialist to examine your knee. Over your lifetime, your knees endure a lot of pressure, weight and motion, leading to wear and tear, injury and degenerative issues.

“Injury and overuse cause the majority of knee pain,” said Dr. Thomas Wuller. “Sudden injury can be from direct impact, abnormal rotation, bending or falling and usually causes severe pain, bruising, weakness, numbness or swelling immediately. Common sudden knee injuries include ACL tears, meniscus tears, strains, sprains, dislocation and fractures. Jogging, stair climbing and cycling are regular offenders that cause overuse injuries in the knee, wearing it down over time.”

Knee pain can sometimes extend beyond the knee along tissue into the upper or lower leg, making self-diagnosis impossible and dangerous. From arthritis to ACLs, your pain’s potential cause list is long. Trust OrthoOklahoma experts to take the time and care to find the specific cause to your pain and recommend the right treatment for you. Common treatments include:

• Heating or icing
• Avoiding activities that aggravate the knee
• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Support with orthotics or bracing
• Injections
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Arthroscopic surgery
• Partial or Total knee replacement

 

Overuse Injuries

If you OVERUSE it, you lose it?

Not always, but when it comes to joints, repetitive overuse is a common problem. Your joints allow you to bend, move, stretch and twist. Using the same motion too often with one joint wears down the muscle, bone, cartilage and tissue, leading to aching, pain, swelling and potential stress fractures.  One of the earliest symptoms is decreased performance or ability. Overuse injuries can occur in any joint or muscle group depending on the problematic motion.

Improper training or technique are typical causes of athletic overuse injuries. Taking on too much too quickly, going too fast or exercising too long can put strain on your muscles and joints. Poor form in sports motions such as strength training, swinging, pitching or throwing overloads your body in an unhealthy manner.

You don’t have to be Rookie of the Year to encounter an overuse injury. The board certified physicians at OrthoOklahoma frequently see overuse injuries caused by day-to-day activities. Typing, sewing and playing some musical instruments all require a repetitive motion that can be strenuous over time.

Knowing you may need to continue the offending motion or activity, your team will evaluate your condition and develop the appropriate treatment plan for you.  Your treatment may include a combination of any of the following:

• Heating or icing
• Reduced level of activity
• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Lifestyle modifications, such as weight loss or exercise
• Injections
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Surgical repair

 

Running and Jogging Injuries

Your breathing synchs. Your strides are effortless. Your music is jamming. 

Great runs are addictive…until you push too far or too hard. More than 70 percent of runners experience some type of running related injury. Your pain may occur suddenly in the middle of a run, bringing you to an immediate halt. Or, your aches may gradually intensify, decreasing your performance and increasing your frustration.

Running places extreme force on your joints – at least three times your body weight with each step. It’s no wonder that runners can encounter injury in a variety of joints – back, hip, knee, ankle or foot. Repetitive exercise routines without cross training build the same muscles and leave others weak, putting you at greater risk for injury. Shin splints, knee pain, stress fractures, tendonitis and back pain are common damage.

The board certified physicians at OrthoOklahoma understand your strong desire to get back on the road.  Benefit from bone and joint experts that listen to your concerns and fully examine each component from shoe to scan. Let us work with you to diagnose your pain and develop a plan to meet your fitness needs while caring for your body. Treatment for your pain may include:

• Heating or icing
• Rest or reduced distance or speed
• Increased cross-training
• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Supportive devices
• Lifestyle modifications, such as weight loss
• Steroid injections
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Surgical repair

 

Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff

Do you grimace in pain as you raise or lower your arm?  Is your shoulder weak making it difficult to lift or perform overhead movements? Are you wondering why your shoulder cracks and crunches?

While shoulder pain can result from numerous causes, your OrthoOklahoma teamoften diagnoses rotator cuff tears as the culprit. Your rotator cuff is a network of four muscles and several tendons holding your arm in place and allowing it to rotate. You may be at high risk for a tear if you:

• Are over 40 years old
• Recently experienced an injury
• Engage in activities using overhead motion like tennis, rowing, weightlifting or baseball

Don’t ignore your pain. Delaying treatment of a tear risks further injury. Let your OrthoOklahoma team find the right treatment for your shoulder pain and lifestyle. Depending on the extent of your injury, your treatment plan may include:

• Applying heat or ice
• Rest or limited overhead activity
• Physical therapy with strengthening exercise, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Use of a sling or supportive device
• Steroid injections
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Surgical repair

 

Tennis and Golfer's Elbow

Two similar injuries. Two different points of pain. Your elbow joins your upper arm and forearm through a complex network of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. When a regular activity, such as tennis or golf, consistently uses one portion of the network over another, you may be at risk for an overuse injury. Both tennis and golfer’s elbow are forms of tendonitis in different areas of the arm.

Tennis Elbow – Pain in the outer part of your elbow that slowly worsens. You may also experience weakness in your grip or pain down your forearm. Symptoms intensify with forearm activity such as holding a coffee cup, shaking a hand or turning a wrench. Tennis elbow occurs most frequently in patients 30 to 50 years. In addition to tennis, professional painters, plumbers, carpenters, cooks, butchers and auto workers are at a higher risk. 

Golfer’s Elbow – Pain in the inner part of your elbow that can appear suddenly or gradually. Your tenderness may radiate down the inner part of your arm to your wrist. Weakness, stiffness or numbness can also occur. Your pain may increase when flexing your wrist toward you, holding a coffee cup, shaking a hand or squeezing a ball. Golfer’s elbow is most common in men ages 20 to 49 and patients who use repetitive motion often, stressing the fingers and wrists.

The experts at OrthoOklahoma listen to the precise point of your elbow pain and the common activities you enjoy to accurately diagnose your condition. During your examination, your physician may apply pressure to various areas and you may be asked to flex or move your wrist, elbow and arm to best determine treatment plan.  Approximately 80 percent of patients are successfully treated without the need for surgery. Common treatments options include:

• Applying ice or heat
• Rest
• Physical therapy, available onsite with OrthoOklahoma
• Equipment check to ensure racquets, clubs and other tools are not causing damage
• Use of a brace or supportive device
• Steroid injections
• Shock wave therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Surgical repair