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Hand and wrist pain can be especially debilitating since we are all so reliant on our hands in our day-to-day lives. If you’ve been looking for an effective, permanent solution to the condition in your hands or wrists, it may be time to consider the specialized procedures offered by our hand surgery specialists.

The Intricacies of Hand Conditions

Our hands are a marvel. There are so many tiny ligaments, muscles, and bones inside the hand that all must function together. While this is great in the sense that it allows our hands to perform an extremely wide range of tasks, it also means there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

When a bone, ligament, or muscle inside your hand becomes damaged either via an injury or a disease, surgery is often the most effective means of repairing it, and there are a variety of surgical procedures designed to treat a variety of conditions. When considering one of these procedures, though, you will want to ensure you are working with a highly skilled surgeon who is experienced in hand and wrist surgeries. To schedule an appointment with one of our world-class hand surgery specialists, be sure to contact us today.

The Benefits of Hand and Wrist Surgery

In many cases, non-surgical treatment is not enough to heal the conditions that cause hand and wrist pain. Hand and wrist surgery, however, is highly effective and proven to reduce or eliminate pain that is caused by a wide range of conditions.

After diagnosing your condition and discussing your options, the hand surgery specialists at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists will schedule a procedure for you that will allow you to regain the function in your hands, eliminate the pain, and start enjoying a more fulfilling life once more.

How Hand Surgery Can Treat Conditions in Your Hand and Wrist

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Hand and wrist pain can be especially debilitating since we are all so reliant on our hands in our day-to-day lives. If you’ve been looking for an effective, permanent solution to the condition in your hands or wrists, it may be time to consider the specialized procedures offered by our hand surgery specialists.

The Intricacies of Hand Conditions

Our hands are a marvel. There are so many tiny ligaments, muscles, and bones inside the hand that all must function together. While this is great in the sense that it allows our hands to perform an extremely wide range of tasks, it also means there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

When a bone, ligament, or muscle inside your hand becomes damaged either via an injury or a disease, surgery is often the most effective means of repairing it, and there are a variety of surgical procedures designed to treat a variety of conditions. When considering one of these procedures, though, you will want to ensure you are working with a highly skilled surgeon who is experienced in hand and wrist surgeries. To schedule an appointment with one of our world-class hand surgery specialists, be sure to contact us today.

The Benefits of Hand and Wrist Surgery

In many cases, non-surgical treatment is not enough to heal the conditions that cause hand and wrist pain. Hand and wrist surgery, however, is highly effective and proven to reduce or eliminate pain that is caused by a wide range of conditions.

After diagnosing your condition and discussing your options, the hand surgery specialists at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists will schedule a procedure for you that will allow you to regain the function in your hands, eliminate the pain, and start enjoying a more fulfilling life once more.

What You Need to Know About Foot Surgery

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If you are suffering from an injury or disease that has compromised your ability to put weight on your foot and is limiting your mobility, undergoing corrective surgery may be a very viable and effective option. If you are considering foot surgery, here is what you need to know.

Foot Injuries and Conditions are Often Complex

The human foot contains numerous bones, muscles, and ligaments packed into a relatively small space. With this being the case, injuries and conditions that affect the foot often or often complicated and require treatment by a specialist who is experienced with orthopedic surgeries involving the foot and ankle.

At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, our foot and ankle specialists are among the most well-trained, well-equipped and experienced physicians in the country. Through state of the art procedures, customized treatment plans and high-quality physical therapy, we are able to help patients quickly recover from foot injuries and conditions.

Physical Therapy is Crucial

Surgery may correct the issue, but physical therapy is what allows your body to heal after the procedure is complete. This is especially true for foot and ankle surgery since your mobility is dependent on your ability to put weight on your foot.

At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, we recognize the important role that physical therapy plays in the healing process after a patient has undergone surgery. Our goal is always complete and total recovery, and both our surgeons and physical therapists will work with you to ensure that this goal is achieved.

What to do Next

If you would like to explore foot surgery as an option for correcting a problem in your foot or ankle that has been caused by trauma or a specific disease, we invite you to contact us today and schedule an appointment. After diagnosing your condition, our foot and ankle specialists will devise a treatment plan designed to have you pain-free and back on your feet in little time at all.

How to Treat a Broken Ankle

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Breaking a bone in your foot or ankle is a serious condition. Even if a bone is not fully broken, sprains, fractures and tears can still be incredibly painful, limiting your mobility. Outlined below are the ways to treat and recover from foot injuries such as a broken ankle.

Receive Medical Attention

If you are have suffered a foot or ankle injury that is serious enough to limit your mobility, it’s important that you receive professional medical attention as quickly as possible. These injuries don’t often heal well on their own, and they may require surgery and/or physical therapy to treat. You may also benefit from pain medications that you will need a prescription to acquire.

If you have recently suffered a broken ankle or other serious foot injury, we urge you to contact our office today to schedule an appointment.

Rest and Manage the Pain

After visiting with one of our orthopedic specialists, you will be provided with a plan for treating the pain and resting your injury so that it is allowed to heal. This plan may include things such as bed rest, controlling the swelling with ice packs, managing the pain responsibly with medications, and limiting your mobility as much as possible.

Recovering from a foot or ankle injury often takes time and effort, so it’s important to be patient. However, both the surgical procedures at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists as well as the physical therapy that follows them are designed to speed up this recovery time as much as possible. By seeking professional help, limiting your mobility and following procedures that allow your injury to heal, you should be able to achieve a full recovery whether you are dealing with anything from a minor sprain to a broken ankle.

What Exactly is a Joint Replacement?

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There may come a time in your life, if it has not happened already, where your joints start to fail you. This is not the end of the world. With advancements in technology, it is now possible for joints to be replaced through surgery. This type of surgery is helping all kinds of people live pain free lives. They can also be active again through things such as knee joint replacements and hip joint replacements.

What is a Joint Replacement?

Your joints the portion of your body that connect the ends of two or more bones. This connection is made by tissue that is called cartilage. When cartilage is healthy, it provides a protective cushion. This cushion allows you to have low to no friction movement of the two bones and the joint. These joints, and more specifically, the cartilage, can become damaged with age, because of an injury and because of disease. With the tissue becomes inflamed, then this can cause pain every time it is utilized. Even more pain can be caused over time if the cartilage wears down. This can result in the edges of the bone rubbing against each other. If only some of the joint is damaged, then the damaged part can be repaired or replaced through surgery. If the entire joint is damaged, then it is possible that a joint replacement can be done by a doctor. During this process, the diseased or damaged components are removed and then an artificial part is then put in to the joint. This can be known as a prosthesis or an implant.

Joint Replacement Specialist

For more information about your options in terms of joint replacement, to have your joints examined, or simply to ask some questions about the procedure, be sure to contact us today so we can add you to the schedule.

How long does it take to heal from a broken ankle?

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If you have a broken ankle, you’re probably wondering how long it will be before it’s healed. Broken ankles can range from severely impeding your ability to walk, to being barely noticeable, depending on where the fracture occurred and how severe it is.

How many bones are in the ankle?

The ankle joint is comprised of three bones, which are the tibia, fibula and talus. The tibia is the commonly referred to as the shin. The fibula is the small bone that comes down from the lower leg, and is parallel to the tibia. The talus is a smaller bone between the tibia and the fibula.

What causes an ankle to break?

It’s fairly easy to break your ankle, especially if your bones are weak or you’re older. Breaks can occur from twists and falls, trauma (something falling on the ankle), unnatural twisting or rotating. Often, ankles break during a sports accident, but they can also break from something as innocuous as tripping on a sidewalk or missing a step.

How do I know if my ankle is broken?

The symptoms of a broken ankle include pain, swelling, redness and an inability to bear weight. Of course, if you have incurred an ankle injury, the only definitive way to tell if the bone is fractured is to visit an orthopedic doctor in Jacksonville. The orthopedic doctor will examine and X-ray or do a scan of the ankle to determine the extent of injury and treatment options.

How are broken ankles treated?

It depends on the situation, but treatment options include surgery, cast, pins, crutches and/or wheelchair during recovery. Pain medication may be prescribed as needed.

How long will it take to heal from a broken ankle?

Depending on the nature of the fracture and your body’s ability to heal, you can anticipate a recovery period of six weeks. Many variables contribute to the recovery window, however, such as your adherence to the doctor’s instructions and your overall health. During recovery, your doctor may need to take progressive X-rays or do stress tests to monitor the healing process.

If you suspect that your ankle might be broken, or your ankle joint simply doesn’t seem right after an accident, please seek the help of an orthopedic doctor. Contact us today to make an appointment for a consultation.

Three Common Runner Injuries You May Need to Fix

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Runner Injuries

Running is no doubt a healthy form of exercise and a great hobby. While running may be extremely beneficial for your heart and weight-loss efforts, it can sometimes take its toll on your legs, feet and ankles. Listed below are three common injuries that runners often have to deal with.

Shin Splints

Shin splints are the result of micro tears in the bone and muscle at the front of the leg. In most cases, shin splints are caused by prolonged running on hard surfaces as the bone and muscles in the shin must continuously absorb the shock. Shin splints are often quite painful and need to be corrected before a runner can continue their exercise routine.

Heel Spurs

Heel spurs are a small point of outward growing bone on the heel. They form in areas of inflammation such as when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed. Since runners may often end up aggravating and inflaming their Achilles tendon, heel spurs are a common problem for them. Symptoms of heel spurs are pain, numbness and tenderness if they are irritating adjacent areas, though if they are not irritating the adjacent tissue they may go unnoticed.

Ankle Sprains and Fractures

Unlike heel spurs and shin splints which form over time due to prolonged exercise, ankle sprains and fractures can happen in an instant. Twist your ankle too far in the wrong direction and you may even end up with a broken ankle. Fractures, sprains, and breaks in the ankle are all quite painful and, in some cases, require surgery to fully repair.

Correcting Runner Injuries

There’s no reason you should let the fear of injury keep you from a beneficial hobby such as running. However, if you do incur one of the injuries common to runners, it’s important to correct it as soon as possible.

At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, we specialize in helping people fully recover from injuries such as those listed above. If you are suffering from foot, ankle, or leg pain and are ready to correct the problem, we invite you to contact us today.

Choosing Between a Podiatrist or an Orthopedic Surgeon

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Injuries, diseases and disorders of the ankle and foot can benefit from being treated by a specialist. If you are like many people trying to navigate the healthcare system in the United States these days, though, you are likely to be confused about which specialist — a podiatrist or an orthopedic surgeon — will provide you with the best outcome.

Orthopedic Surgeons Offer Specialized Training and Techniques

An orthopedic surgeon that specializes in foot and ankle surgery, such as the board-certified physicians that comprise our medical team at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, each have five years of intense surgical training. Additionally, our medical doctors have advanced training in foot and ankle surgery. In many cases, patients have other medical problems that are related to, or the result of, their foot and ankle issues. An orthopedic surgeon is skilled and knowledgeable in the mechanisms of the entire body and can address these concerns as well.

What is a Podiatrist vs Orthopedic?

A podiatrist must first obtain an undergraduate program before completing a four-year podiatry program. Afterward, the podiatrist must successfully pass examinations on the state and national level. At this point, the podiatrist can become licensed. A podiatrist is not necessarily equipped to perform surgery, though. This requires additional study, training and experience.

For the most comprehensive coverage in the area of diseases and disorders of the foot and ankle, you’ll obtain results that exceed your expectations when you seek out an orthopedic surgeon. At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, each office also has physical therapy to provide a seamless continuity of services for their patients.

From total ankle replacement and deformity correction to foot fractures and treatment, the orthopedic specialists at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists are ready to help you on your way to recovery. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment at one of our six convenient locations.

Tired of Dealing with Hand and Wrist Pain?

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The human hand is a scientific marvel, capable of countless tasks. For those suffering from hand and wrist pain, though, these tasks can become a near constant source of discomfort. If you are tired of dealing with hand and wrist pain and the problems that it causes, our hand surgery specialists are ready to help you fix the problem once and for all.

What Causes Hand and Wrist Pain?

Hand and wrist pain can be caused by a wide range of factors, most all of which result in the damage of the many joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, and bones inside the wrist and hand. These factors include arthritis, trigger finger, ganglion cysts, Dupuytren’s Disease, fractures and carpal tunnel as well as others.hand bones injury

In many cases, it may be quite difficult to self-diagnose the cause of your hand and wrist pain as the symptoms of these various conditions may feel quite similar. However, all of these conditions are things that are best dealt with sooner rather than later. If you are suffering from hand and/or wrist pain and are ready for a solution, feel free to contact our hand surgery specialists today to schedule an appointment.

How to Correct Hand and Wrist Pain

Hand and wrist pain can sometimes be corrected with non-surgical solutions. In most cases, however, surgery is the most effective way to fully eliminate hand and wrist pain.

Surgeries designed to alleviate hand and wrist pain will vary depending on the condition that is causing your pain, so a thorough diagnosis is the first step in fixing the problem. From there, our hand surgery specialists will work to fully correct the damage using state-of-the-art procedures and the most cutting edge technological advancements in the medical industry.

If you are tired of dealing with hand and wrist pain and the constant effects that it has on your day-to-day tasks, we hope that you will visit us at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists and allow us to help you regain a pain-free life.

Benefits of Visiting a Hand Surgeon

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Our hands are used to perform many necessary functions. Hand weakness or pain can be debilitating and limit a person’s ability to dress, drive and more. For those that do not benefit from conservative approaches to treating weakness, injury or pain, hand surgery specialists provide additional options to address specific conditions affecting the hands and wrists.

There are a number of benefits from seeking the option of hand surgery specialists and receiving treatment at the Jacksonville orthopedic unit. Learn why people with hand pain or limited range of motion turn to a hand surgery specialist.

Hand Surgeon Experts

A Jacksonville hand surgeon is an expert in addressing the various conditions that can affect the hand, wrist and forearm. They often use non-invasive or minimally-invasive measures to diagnose and treat conditions. When more invasive surgery is called for, hand surgeons have the expertise and training to operate on the delicate soft tissue, nerves and bones making up the hand and wrist.

Hand Surgery Specialists Can Address Your Hand Pain

You could have hurt your hand recently and be experiencing some discomfort in your hand or wrist. When cases of hand pain do not resolve themselves quickly, you may need to learn more about your non-surgical or surgical options. A visit to the hand surgeon may be needed when a person experiences symptoms including:

  • Problems opening or closing fingers;
  • Pain in the fingers;
  • Discomfort, numbness or tingling in the hand or wrist; or
  • An injury to either the hand or wrist.

A hand surgeon may suggest acupuncture, physical therapy or stem cell injections as part of your treatment options. Understand more about the range of options available to effectively address problems of the hand or wrist.

Hand surgery specialists have the advanced training to treat trauma, injury and advanced diseases affecting the hand and wrist. Patients can receive treatment for hand weakness, pain or limited range of motion. Speak with an orthopedic hand specialist to learn more about your treatment options today.

Reasons You May Need Hand Surgery

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Our hands enable us to thrive. We feel, touch, grasp, carry and hold the world around us using our hands. So, what do we do when our hands hurt or are weak? In some cases, we turn to the experience and expertise of one of our Jacksonville Orthopedic surgeons. This blog explores the reasons you may need hand surgery

First Steps – Treatment Before Surgery

For many patients, hand surgery is not the first tool to reach for when they need to address pain, limited range of motion, or even the onset of diseases such as arthritis. There are many pre-surgical treatments that do a wonderful job of reducing or eliminating pain, improving the range of motion and strength in your hands and addressing the early signs and symptoms of a disease. Those include:

While these treatments help millions of people overcome pain, limited range of motion and disease, they may not be appropriate for your case, or sometimes they are not enough.

When You May Need Hand Surgery

Our Jacksonville orthopedic surgeons are each a hand surgery specialist and they practice from the perspective that every patient is unique, and so are their healthcare challenges. For that reason, surgery may or may not be the best option for you. Reach out to our Jacksonville orthopedic unit with questions or to schedule an initial exam.

  • Trauma: Hand surgery following trauma is common. Broken fingers, a broken wrist, crushing injuries, traumatic amputations are all examples of when hand surgery is part of emergency care.
  • Post Trauma Recovery: Sometimes surgery is not possible at the time of trauma and must be part of the follow-up care for recovery. At other times, emergency care needs to be corrected with hand surgery to ensure that long-term use of your hand is as natural as possible.
  • Joint Replacement: Replacement of the wrist joint is an option when arthritis advances to the point where:
    • The wrist become locked
    • There is limited range of motion
    • Is severe pain or weakness in the fingers and hand
    • The quality of life of the patient diminishes
  • Disease Impacts Use of the Wrist: The primary disease that affects the wrist is arthritis, but other diseases or conditions also require hand surgery. Those may include birth defects, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and infections.

Many options exist for treating problems with your wrist. The best advice for people who suffer from hand pain, limited range of motion, or weakness in your hand is to talk with a hand surgery specialist who recognizes that your treatment options and condition require a unique and personalized approach to care and treatment.

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