shoulder joint x-ray image on digital tablet with doctor team medical diagnose injuries

Understanding Orthopaedic Surgery: Your Complete Guide

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Orthopaedic surgery is a specialized medical field that treats and repairs musculoskeletal issues. Orthopaedic surgeons can treat you if you are injured in sports or suffer from underlying conditions. You should know these things about orthopaedic surgery.

Read on to learn more.

Common Types of Orthopaedic Surgeries

A few common orthopaedic surgeries include:

  • Spinal Surgery: Spinal surgery treats herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spinal deformities, and other spinal conditions. It may involve removing bone spurs or scar tissue or fusing vertebrae to stabilize the spine.
  • Knee Surgery: This type can repair torn ligaments in the knee or correct knee injuries caused by trauma. You can also replace damaged or worn-out knee joints to improve mobility and reduce pain.
  • Hip Replacement: This type of surgery typically occurs when a patient has severe hip pain due to arthritis or other conditions. During this procedure, a damaged hip joint is replaced with an artificial one to restore function and improve mobility.
  • Shoulder Surgery: This type can help repair torn rotator cuffs, dislocated shoulders, bursitis, frozen shoulders, and more. Depending on the severity of the injury or condition treated, shoulder surgery may involve repairing tears in tendons or ligaments or replacing joints with artificial components.
  • Arthroscopy: This minimally invasive procedure uses cameras inserted into small incisions to diagnose and treat problems inside joints without needing open surgery. Arthroscopy can be used for shoulder repairs and treating conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.

Recovery Times for Orthopaedic Surgeries

Orthopaedic surgery recovery time depends on several factors, including the type of procedure performed, its extent, and how quickly it heals. You shouldn’t rush the recovery process. However long it takes to recover, you can safely return to strenuous activities once the body has recovered. Although most patients will need some rest following their operation, they can gradually return to their regular activities with regular physical therapy over time.

Pinehurst Orthopaedic Relief with Dr. John Moore

Do you have an orthopaedic problem? Get relief from your pain by scheduling a consultation with Dr. John Moore and his team of orthopaedic specialists in Pinehurst. Contact us for more information about our treatments at 910-295-0224.

Jogger man is lacing his shoes during his winter workout in a city park

Top 3 Tips to Avoid Slips and Falls This Winter

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Winter weather can be treacherous, especially for those unfamiliar with snow and ice. One wrong step can easily lead to a painful fall, and sometimes those falls can result in serious injuries.

As an orthopaedic surgery clinic in Pinehurst, North Carolina, we have seen firsthand the devastating effects a slip and fall can have on a person’s life. We don’t want that to be you.

Here are the top tips for avoiding slips and falls this winter.

Wear Proper Footwear

When the weather outside is frightful, make sure you’re wearing footwear that will keep you steady on your feet. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating. Boots with good traction are a must, as shoes with nonslip soles. And don’t forget to pay attention to your sock game, too. Thermal socks made from wool or other materials that wick away moisture will help keep your feet dry and cozy all day.

Beware of Ice

Ice is one of the biggest hazards when it comes to slips and falls. To avoid taking a spill, tread cautiously on any surface that might be icy—even if it looks like it has been treated with salt or sand. And if you do find yourself on ice, try not to panic. Relax and take small steps until you reach a more stable surface.

Give Yourself Extra Time

Rushing around in slippery conditions is a recipe for disaster. When you’re getting ready to head out in winter weather, give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go so that you don’t feel rushed or pressured to hurry up and finish your errands before the skies open again.

Schedule A Consultation

Following these simple tips can help reduce your risk of slipping and falling this winter. But even if you take a spill, know that we’re here to help at Pinehurst Surgical. We specialize in orthopaedic care and can provide the treatment you need to get back on your feet—literally!

You are more than welcome to visit! Give us a call at (910) 295-0224 in North Carolina if you would like to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions.

Orthopaedic Surgery And Joint Replacement: A Guide For Healthy Aging Month

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Aging comes with a lot of changes, including changes to our bones and joints. Some of us may experience pain and limitations in mobility due to these changes. Orthopaedic surgery and joint replacement can help improve our quality of life as we age. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the benefits of these procedures and how they can help us stay active and independent as we age.

What’s Healthy Aging Month?

National Healthy Aging Month is celebrated every September and is a time to focus on improving your health as you age. You can do many things to age healthily, and this month is the perfect time to start making some changes in your life.

Some tips for healthy aging include:

  • Staying active
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Managing stress

These are just a few of the many things you can do to age healthily, so start making some changes today and see how you feel next September!

What Is Orthopaedic Surgery?

Orthopaedic surgery is a branch of surgery that deals with the musculoskeletal system.

This includes:

  • Bones
  • Joints
  • Muscles
  • Tendons
  • Ligaments

Orthopaedic surgeons can diagnose and treat musculoskeletal problems with their knowledge and skills. They can perform both surgical and non-surgical procedures to treat conditions.

Orthopaedic surgery can treat musculoskeletal injuries, deformities, and diseases. It can also help to improve function and quality of life. Some typical orthopedic surgeries include joint replacements, ACL reconstructions, and rotator cuff repairs.

When Might Someone Need Orthopaedic Surgery?

Orthopaedic surgery is a type of surgery that aims to correct problems with the bones, joints, or muscles. It can take place for various reasons, such as repairing a broken bone, treating a joint problem, or correcting a muscle problem. Occasionally, orthopaedic surgery is required to correct birth defects.

Who Performs Orthopaedic Surgery?

An orthopaedic surgeon usually performs orthopaedic surgery. This type of surgeon has specialized training to perform surgery on the bones, joints, and muscles. Orthopaedic surgery tends to be safe, but risks always exist, as with any type of surgery.

Make an Appointment

Orthopaedic surgery and joint replacement can greatly improve the quality of life as we age. If you are experiencing pain or limited mobility, talk to your doctor about whether this surgery is right for you. Our team of experts at Pinehurst Surgical in Pinehurst, NC, is here to help. Give us a call today at 910-295-0224 to book an appointment.

How Corticosteroids Help with Inflammation and Pain

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At Pinehurst Surgical, Dr. Moore sees patients with joint pain every day. While his expertise and training as a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon make a difference for his patients when they need knee or hip replacement, surgery is typically only pursued after conservative treatments have been exhausted. One of these treatments is the injection of corticosteroids. Often this is the next step when the patient has not responded to other treatments such as physical therapy or oral anti-inflammatory medications.

Here’s some more information about corticosteroids.

What are corticosteroids?

Although often confused with the steroids we hear about from professional athletes or bodybuilders, corticosteroids are different. The steroids for bulking up are anabolic steroids, not corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone produced by the body. Triamcinolone, cortisone, prednisone, and methylprednisolone are all examples of corticosteroids.

What do corticosteroids do?

For our patients at Pinehurst Surgical, we typically use corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation. They can also be used to reduce the activity of the immune system, which can cause inflammation as the body is working against its own tissues, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Moore uses corticosteroids to provide relief from pain and stiffness. For instance, we inject them directly into joints and into inflamed bursa. We also inject them around tendons that have been strained due to repetitive movements, such as in patients with tennis elbow.

Why are corticosteroids injected?

Taking steroids orally can produce numerous side effects — everything from high blood pressure to insomnia to muscle weakness. Plus, corticosteroids taken by mouth or through an IV aren’t assured of reaching the problem area. Injections, on the other hand, guarantee the inflamed joint or area is directly targeted.

How are these injections used in treatment?

For our patients who are otherwise healthy, but maybe have joint pain from early osteoarthritis, we may use only corticosteroids for treatment. This may be sufficient to calm the inflammation and end the pain.

In other patients with more involved conditions, we may use corticosteroid injections as part of an overall treatment regimen that includes physical therapy, possible occupational therapy, supportive devices such as braces, and possible other anti-inflammatory pain medications. This, obviously, depends on the unique situation of the patient.

If you have joint pain, call us at Pinehurst Surgical Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Center, (910) 295-0224, and let’s see how we can help.

Avoid Injury This Summer

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With the warmer weather and we all start spending a little more time outside, it’s a good time to be mindful of the injuries we can sustain after a long, inactive winter. To avoid injury as you resume summer activities, sports, and exercise, heed this advice.

Ease Back into Your Training

Whether you’re an athlete getting ready for a new season of baseball, track, or soccer or a jogger ready to get off the treadmill and back out in the fresh air, there are precautions you should take to avoid an injury that would keep you inactive for weeks or longer.  Be sure to warm up and stretch your muscles before your activity. Listen to your body – if you feel pain or discomfort, moderate the activity or stop.

Wear the Right Shoes

One of the most important ways to prevent injury is to wear the right gear. While that means wearing the proper equipment for your chosen sport (including proper visibility), nothing is more important than the shoes you wear – the right size, the right type of shoe, and the right support structure.

Don’t Overexert Your Body

Unless you’ve been conditioning in preparation for resuming your activities, it’s important to ease into the activity slowly and build up your stamina and strengthen the muscles that support your joints. Early season injuries can be serious – serious enough to require significant downtime or even knee or hip replacement surgery.

Don’t Just Get Physical – Get a Physical

Summer is a great time of year to schedule an annual physical, so that you can clear up any medical issues and make sure you’re in good shape to handle the uptick in exercise you’re planning.

There’s no reason you can’t spend your summer doing things that you love in the outdoors. Just be sure you’re taking steps to take care of your joints along the way so that you don’t get injured. If you are suffering from a knee or hip injury, contact us at our Pinehurst office today or call us at 910-295-0224.