Orthopaedics and Pain

Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Medicine

This is concerned with the diagnosis and no-surgical treatment of “soft tissue” lesions; abnormalities of the moving parts of the body; muscles, tendons. ligaments, bursae and joint. This also includes the joints and discs of the spine, as well as nerve entrapment.

Medical Conditions

Examples of medical conditions by the above specialities are:

• Back Pain (including slipped discs and lumbago)
• Sciatica
• Neck Pain (including Whiplash and Cricked Neck
• Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist Hip, Knee and Ankle Conditions
• Bursitis
• Sprains and Strains of Muscles
• Tendons. and Ligaments
• Neuralgia
• Headaches and Migraines
• Fibrormyalgia
• Myofascial Pain and other Chronic Pain Syndromes

Diagnosis and Investigations

In most cases the medical history and a full physical examination is enough to establish clear cause of the pain or musculoskeletal problem and formulate an effective treatment plan.

In other cases Special Investigationsations may be necessary in order to confirm the physical findings, or to exclude other possible conditions. These investigations may include blood or urine analysis; Xrays, Ultrasound or MRI Scans.

Treatment

Treatments vary according to the nature of the medical problem and range from simple physical methods to the appropriate use of medications and more interventive procedures.

Examples may thus include:

• Physical Manipulation
• Friction and Acupressure
• Intramuscular Stimulation
• Trigger Point Acupuncture
• TENS and TSE machines
• Pain Relieving Medications (both allopathic and homeopathic)
• Injections to Joints, Soft Tissues
• Facet Joint Injections
• Nerve Root Injections
• Epidurals
• Prolotherapy

Choice of injected substances can include homeopathic solutions; prolotherapy mixtures; local anaesthetics, steroids; synthetic synovial fluid; botulinus toxin; as appropriate.