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December 28, 2017

​How Orthopedic Health Conditions Are Affecting Baby Boomers​

Of all the health conditions that grow more common with age, few are more widespread than orthopedic issues. Impacting your body’s musculoskeletal system, these conditions are often not life-threatening, but bring significant pain and mobility issues. A large and growing number of baby boomers must deal with orthopedic issues, particularly:

Arthritis

Marked by pain and swelling of the joints, arthritis is one of the most common orthopedic diseases. Doctors divide arthritis into different categories based on where and how it affects the body. The most widespread type is osteoarthritis, which affects knees, hips and other load-bearing joints. Arthritis is incurable, but it can be managed through a combination of pain and anti-inflammatory medications, massage therapy and applied heat and cold.

Knee Issues

Baby boomers often see the cartilage in their knees diminish. This leads to pain, stiffness and limited mobility. To solve this problem, your orthopedic specialist can give you a knee replacement, which involves capping your knee’s joint with metal and plastic to relieve pain and expand motion.

Hip Issues

Arthritis and other orthopedic conditions strain your hips, causing serious pain and making walking more difficult. To relieve this pain, baby boomers are turning to hip replacements. This involves placing an artificial joint on your hip, which gives you more mobility.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A condition that affects the nerves in your wrist, this problem causes weakness, numbing, pain and swelling in your hands. Your likelihood of developing it increases as you age, making baby boomers highly vulnerable to this condition. Many who suffer from carpal tunnel turn to orthopedic surgery in order to cure it.

As an orthopedic specialist with extensive experience serving baby boomers, Southeast Orthopedic Specialists offers solutions for these and all other conditions in Northeast Florida. For more information, visit our website today.