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Low Impact Sports

There are plenty of low-impact sports that will help you stay injury free while giving you a good physique. Basically, any physical sport with minimal wear and trauma to weight-bearing joints is considered a low-impact sport. Here’s a list of some low-impact sports to incorporate into your fitness routine

Swimming

The buoyancy of the water counteracts the force of gravity in swimming and makes it a perfect lo
w-impact sport. It’s a great way to burn calories. Just swimming for an hour burns 550 calories. Over two thirds of the body’s muscular system is worked when swimming. This includes the arms, legs, lower, and upper body. Little effort is needed to overcome water resistance, and it tones muscles. Plus, it strengthens joints, improves breathing and enhances general fitness.

Horseback Riding

Although you might think the horse does all the work when horseback riding, it’s just not true. You really need some genuine physical effort to keep up with the horse’s movements. Riding means that you’ll be developing leg and core muscles along with general fitness.

Cycling

Whether your tooling around the neighborhood or out on a bike trail, cycling will give you a hardcore workout without stressing your body. Just be sure to wear a helmet.

Rowing

Whether you’re on a local lake or a flat-water river or using a rowing machine in a gym, rowing works all the big muscle groups. It’s ideal for strengthening your abs and lower back. Get a full-body workout and a great looking physique with this sport.

Cross Country Skiing

With cross country skiing, you can get an all-over workout that involves every major muscle group. And it doesn’t over-stress any one muscle group. Plus, it’s a sport that burns huge amounts of calories. This is a great activity to add to your winter travel itinerary.

Southeast Orthopedic Specialists focus on sports medicine as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation. If you’re suffering from a sports injury, schedule a visit with us
today.

Best Low-Impact Sports for a Better Physique

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Low Impact Sports

There are plenty of low-impact sports that will help you stay injury free while giving you a good physique. Basically, any physical sport with minimal wear and trauma to weight-bearing joints is considered a low-impact sport. Here’s a list of some low-impact sports to incorporate into your fitness routine

Swimming

The buoyancy of the water counteracts the force of gravity in swimming and makes it a perfect lo
w-impact sport. It’s a great way to burn calories. Just swimming for an hour burns 550 calories. Over two thirds of the body’s muscular system is worked when swimming. This includes the arms, legs, lower, and upper body. Little effort is needed to overcome water resistance, and it tones muscles. Plus, it strengthens joints, improves breathing and enhances general fitness.

Horseback Riding

Although you might think the horse does all the work when horseback riding, it’s just not true. You really need some genuine physical effort to keep up with the horse’s movements. Riding means that you’ll be developing leg and core muscles along with general fitness.

Cycling

Whether your tooling around the neighborhood or out on a bike trail, cycling will give you a hardcore workout without stressing your body. Just be sure to wear a helmet.

Rowing

Whether you’re on a local lake or a flat-water river or using a rowing machine in a gym, rowing works all the big muscle groups. It’s ideal for strengthening your abs and lower back. Get a full-body workout and a great looking physique with this sport.

Cross Country Skiing

With cross country skiing, you can get an all-over workout that involves every major muscle group. And it doesn’t over-stress any one muscle group. Plus, it’s a sport that burns huge amounts of calories. This is a great activity to add to your winter travel itinerary.

Southeast Orthopedic Specialists focus on sports medicine as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation. If you’re suffering from a sports injury, schedule a visit with us
today.

Sprained Ankle Recovery Time & Treatment

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A sprained ankle occurs when the ligaments supporting the ankle become overstretched or torn. An ankle sprain can range anywhere from mild to severe. The grade of an ankle sprain depends on the amount of damage to the ligaments.

At-Home Treatment for an Ankle Sprain

Once you injure your ankle, you need to begin using the RICE protocol right away:

  • R – Rest your ankle.
  • I – Ice your ankle (up to 30 minutes, four times a day). You should never place ice directly on your skin. Be sure to wrap the ice in a towel.
  • C – Compression dressings to immobilize and support your ankle (i.e., bandage wraps).
  • E – Elevate your ankle, especially during the initial 48 hours following your injury.

You can also use over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen to control your pain and reduce inflammation.

How Your Orthopedic Doctor Determines the Grade of Your Ankle Sprain

The orthopedic surgeons at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists frequently diagnose and treat individuals who have sprained their ankles.

  • Grade 1 – If your sprain is mild, you will experience tenderness and swelling around your ankle.
  • Grade 2 – Your ankle will be tender, swollen and bruised above and below its joint.
  • Grade 3 – You will have a substantial amount of swelling around your ankle. In addition, your ankle will be very tender.

The Importance of Seeking Treatment for a Moderate to Severe Ankle Sprain

If you avoid seeking treatment for a moderate to severe sprained ankle, you are more likely to injure the ankle again at some point in the future. Recurrent ankle sprains can cause you to have long-term ankle problems. These problems may include arthritis, continued ankle pain and/or ankle instability. If you have sprained your ankle and need immediate care, contact Southeast Orthopedic Specialists at 904-394-BONE (2663). If you do not need care immediately, but you would like to make an appointment, please call (904) 634-0640 or request an appointment with our online form by clicking here.

The Three-Phase Program Orthopedic Surgeons Use to Treat Ankle Sprains

Whether you have a mild, moderate or severe ankle sprain, your orthopedic doctor will implement a three-phase program:

  • Phase 1 – Rest and protect your ankle. Use ice and elevation to reduce the swelling.
  • Phase 2 – Physical therapy treatments are ordered to restore your ankle’s range of motion, flexibility and strength.
  • Phase 3 – Maintenance exercises will continue with a gradual return to performing activities that do not involve the twisting or turning of your ankle. Eventually, you will be able to return to fast-paced activities that require sudden movements to the left or right (i.e., football, tennis or basketball).

Initially, some patients need to use crutches to walk. Even so, in the majority of cases, the pain and swelling subsides enough for the patient to discontinue using the crutches within 3 days. You may receive an ankle brace from your orthopedic doctor. This brace keeps your ankle stable.

How long the three-phase program lasts depends on the severity of your ankle sprain. If your sprain is mild, you may complete the entire program in as little as 2 weeks. However, treatment for a more severe ankle sprain may last from 6 to 12 weeks.

5 Minimally Invasive Surgery FAQ’s to Ask Your Spine Specialist

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Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is an exciting alternative to traditional spine surgery. The orthopedic surgeons at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists frequently perform MISS procedures to address a variety of issues related to the spine.

1. What is the Difference Between Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Traditional Spine Surgery?

Traditionally, spine surgery was performed as an ‘open surgery.’ When an open spine surgery is performed, the orthopedic surgeon creates a long incision (ranging from 5- to 6-inches) that allows him or her to view and access the area of the spine that is being addressed. Whereas an open spine surgery requires the creation of a long incision, a minimally invasive back surgery does not. In the majority of cases, patients who have MISS as opposed to open back surgery experience less pain and enjoy a faster recovery.

2. How Long Have Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Techniques Been Used?

Ever since the ‘90s, minimally invasive back surgery techniques have been used to address issues that cause pain. MISS procedures are used to remove portions of herniated discs and/or pieces of bone that put pressure the spinal nerve(s). Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques have also been used to correct problems related to the vertebrae (small bones of the spine). Today, the orthopedic surgeons at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists are using minimally invasive back surge
ry techniques to address a wide range of issues. If you are experiencing back and/or nerve pain, call (904) 634-0640 or click here to use the online form to schedule your initial consultation.

3. What Are the Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgery?

During an open surgery procedure, in order to view the spine, the orthopedic surgeon needs to move the back muscles over to the side. This retraction of the muscles can actually damage the soft tissue and/or injure the muscle. Furthermore, retracting the muscle usually affects areas of the patient’s anatomy that are not required to complete the surgery. Thus, causing the patient to experience additional pain. While performing a MISS, the orthopedic doctor can target the problem area directly. This allows the surgeon to treat the patient’s spinal problem with less injury to his or her normal spinal structures, including the muscles. Additional benefits include spending less time in the hospital and very little concern related to excessive bleeding (due to the shorter incisions).

4. What Should I Expect During the Recovery Phase Following My Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery?

Every patient is unique; however, the majority of patients can walk around relatively soon following their procedure. Moreover, a MISS is usually an outpatient procedure, which means patients return home on the same day of their surgery. Within two weeks, you should be able to return to performing light physical activities. Depending on the spinal issue that was addressed during your surgery and your overall health, you may fully recover in as little as six weeks.

5. Will I Need to Have Physical Therapy?

Yes, by performing physical therapy exercises that target the part of the spine that was addressed during surgery, you increase the blood flow to that particular area. This blood flow increase assists your body as it heals.

What is Emergency Orthopedic Medicine?

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Any type of injury involving the bone or the structures surrounding can be quite serious. While a sprained ankle or pulled tendon. may not require immediate care, there can be certain emergencies that do. In addition, some cases may not be pressing in the sense that they are dangerous they may simply cause much pain and require quick attention. That’s why emergency orthopedic medicine is so important.

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What to Ask your Doctor Before Hip Replacement Surgery

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When agriculture spraying technician Sammy Burch began having intense pain in her right hip, she just thought she had thrown her hip out and could easily get the problem fixed with a visit to the chiropractor. But when her chiropractor saw her, he recognized there were deeper problems and sent her to an orthopedic specialist. For a woman whose work was intensely physical, Burch was all about finding out what this diagnosis meant to her career in agriculture.

Little did she know, she was headed for a full hip replacement and with the dizzying amount of questions she had, she says now, she wished she’d have had a guide on this trip.

If you are finding yourself in the same predicament, you might feel anxious and unsure about many things. For this reason, we have offered up a list of questions that might calm you a little bit when your Jacksonville orthopedic healthcare professional or sports medicine physician visits with you and answers them.

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Whats The Best Ankle Brace For Me?

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With the ever widening array of choices when it comes to ankle braces out there, how in the world is someone supposed to make the right choice for their particular orthopedic need?

Most of us have done it – driven to the athletic shop or the local drug store and purchased an ankle brace only to get home, put it on and find it does not work well for our particular situation. Many times it won’t fit in our shoe or worse, causes more pain than going without.

There’s nothing like trying to run that bucket-list half marathon while stopping every 30 minutes to tighten or loosen an ankle brace. It will help you, before you head off to the drug store, to take with you a few suggestions on how to pick the right ankle brace for not only your particular activity but also for your specific type of ankle problem or diagnosis.

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When Should You Stretch

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If you’re wondering whether you need to stretch before or after you exercise, congratulations! That means that you’ve committed to an exercise plan and are on your way to wellness. Remember, before starting any exercise program, be sure to consult with a medical professional. At Southeast Orthopedic, our physical therapy team is happy to talk through the best and safest ways to workout to minimize injury and treat old wounds with care.

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