Serving Lincoln, Omaha and Surrounding Communities
*When it’s cold out, be of the mindset that ANY wet/dark area of pavement could be slippery and icy. Even if there hasn’t been any actual precipitation, dew and water vapor can freeze on cold surfaces which, in turn, can form an extremely thin and nearly invisible layer of ice that can look like wet pavement but is anything but.
Physical therapists are your providers. These are health care professionals who help patients improve their mobility, decrease their pain, their need for pain relieving medications and the potential need for surgery.
Prairie Orthopaedic & Plastic Surgery is very excited to announce that two of our Physical Therapists have recently attained the advanced designation of Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission.
Some of the most common winter sports injuries are sprains, strains, dislocations, and fractures. In fact, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 290,000 individuals were treated for winter-related sports in 2014 – 114,000 injuries from snow skiing, 79,000 injuries from snowboarding, 47,000 injuries from ice skating, and 52,000 injuries from sledding. Many times these injuries occur at the end of the day when participants are tired and ready to call it quits but just can’t help themselves from getting in one more good run before the daylight fades.
Internal fixation is a surgical procedure that is done to help set a fracture and reposition bones/bone fragments into normal, proper alignment. This is accomplished with a variety of different implants including plates, screws, rods, and wires (that are made from either titanium or stainless steel). Now, while this may sound a bit scary, it’s really not…we promise! Here’s how the various implements that orthopaedic surgeons use for internal fixation work to ensure optimal healing:
The seriousness of growth plate fractures lies, in large part, to the fact that if a growth plate fracture is not treated properly – and promptly – the affected limb could grow crooked or to an unequal length as its opposing side. Fortunately, though, serious complications are relatively rare and, with proper treatment, the majority of growth plate fractures heal without complication.
This type of injury tends to occur when an individual falls directly onto his/her shoulder. However, a “separated shoulder” – regardless of the name – isn’t a true injury of the shoulder joint itself.
Wearing high heels puts the feet at a rather unnatural angle which, in turn, pulls muscles and joints out of alignment, meaning that the painful effects of said footwear aren’t limited to what’s below the ankle. In fact, it’s not at all unusual for those who spend LOTS of time in heels to suffer from low back pain, neck pain, and even shoulder pain…all ailments that are a direct result of the fact that the shoes disrupt the natural form of the body.
The purpose of a backpack is to allow an individual to carry a fair amount of items in a manner that’s not only practical but also in a way that distributes the weight of the load across the shoulders and back. Unfortunately, overload can easily occur which, in turn, can strain the shoulders, back, and neck – the exact areas that the pack was meant to spare excess strain. If our backs, in particular, are subjected to bearing heavy weights for extended periods of time, the body will attempt to compensate for the extra load.
The Achilles tendon is one of the biggest tendons in the body and it’s also one of the most frequently injured. The Achilles tendon is the tough band of connective tissue at the back of the ankle, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. Athletic endeavors are the number one cause of an Achilles tendon rupture, affecting men more often than women. There are both surgical and non-surgical treatments available, both of which are something that your orthopaedic surgeon or podiatrist would most certainly discuss with you.