We have seen it all: ankles twisted on ski slopes, hands accidentally slammed in doors, knees worn out from years of accumulated wear and tear, and shoulders that no longer comply with their owner’s wishes. Our Physician Assistants at Olympia Orthopaedics Associates Rapid Orthopaedic Care (ROC) are used to helping patients whose joint issues require immediate attention.
ROC’s staff can assess patients and provide initial treatment, then refer them to the care of doctors at OOA’s multiple locations. Hand surgeons and other sub-specialists can handle more complex cases, but every OAA physician is trained in general orthopaedics, including the most common injuries that require treatment.
These include:
#1. Knee Injuries
“We use our knees to move around and get up and down, plus they’re weight-bearing joints, so this is one of the top issues we see,” say our PAs. Tears of the meniscus, the cartilage that functions as a shock absorber between the thigh and shin bones, are common. In younger patients, these tend to result from sports injuries, but among older patients, even a simple movement can cause problems. “The meniscus dries out as we get older, so it’s more prone to tearing,”.
Soft tissue injuries like meniscus tears and ligament strains can be treated with a range of options, including physical therapy. In cases where arthritis is present, the staff takes a conservative approach. “There can be medication management, weight loss, physical therapy and occasionally injection management,” staff explains. “Failing all of those options, sometimes people have to think about knee replacement surgery.”
#2. Hands and Wrist Issues
Hands, as one of OAA’s surgeons likes to point out, are how we interact with the world and we beat them up all the time. “It’s a gamut,” say our PAs. “We see wrist fractures, finger fractures, people with cuts and a lot of work-related hand injuries. Hands are about half of what we see in an urgent care or emergency room setting.”
Ligament injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and even cases of gout make their way through the ROC’s doors, where patients are often referred to a hand specialist to figure out the next step. “We have two hand surgeons and multiple PA-Cs who work with them,” say staff, “which has helped to increase patient access over the last year.”
#3. Foot and Ankle Problems
People may expect that a broken foot or ankle would be more painful than a sprain, but in fact, the opposite is often true. “We see it all the time,” they say. “We’ve seen people come in with broken bones that can walk on their foot and people who have sprains who can’t bear any weight at all.”
More chronic conditions like foot or ankle arthritis are less common, as are toe dislocations. OAA has two foot and ankle specialists who can deal with more complicated issues. “A lot of our team can deal with a sprained foot or ankle without a problem”.
#4. Shoulder Issues
Shoulder pain is one of the primary reasons people go to the doctor, PAs notes, because it can interfere with sleep, work, and life in general. “The primary shoulder complaint we get is rotator cuff tendon pathology,” they say. “Many people are not aware that the shoulder goes through a wear and tear process just like the hips and knees do. We see everything from huge tears to what we call impingement, where the joint is swollen and irritated.”
Treatment ranges from physical therapy to medication, cortisone shots in the shoulder, and surgery. Severe tears or advanced arthritis may be inoperable, but patients still have options. “For some, it means shoulder replacement surgery,” say ROC staff. “We have several surgeons who do those, and the surgery has advanced so far in recent decades.”
#5. Back Problems
Back problems are on the rise, particularly among young people. A sedentary lifestyle combined with large amounts of time glued to screens are contributing factors. “We’ve adopted habits of sitting in front of computers and reading on our phones where our necks are flexed all the time,” say our ROC PAs. “We weren’t meant to be sitting all the time. All those muscles that stabilize our backs have gotten deconditioned and weak, which leads to pain.”
Losing weight and quitting smoking can kick-start the healing process by releasing pressure on the spine and eliminating nicotine, which constricts blood vessels and prevents blood flow to damaged areas. “It’s a tough addiction, but most surgeons worth their salt, including ours, won’t do surgery on your neck or back if you don’t stop smoking,” say staff.
The ROC is the only orthopaedic urgent care center regionally that is open 10am -5:30pm daily – all but four holidays a year. To learn more about the services provided by Olympia Orthopaedic Associates, visit the OlyOrtho website or call 360.709.6230.
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