How Bunions Are Treated, and When Surgery Is Worth It
Bunions cannot be reversed without surgery, but most people can keep them comfortable for years. Wide, low-heeled shoes with a roomy toe box, protective…
Read article
Blog Category
Orthopedics
Articles on bones, joints and muscles: knee, hip, shoulder and back problems, joint replacement and sports injuries, explained from the first symptom through treatment options to recovery.
What Does a Trauma Surgeon Do? Stabilizing Fractures, Dislocations and Complex Wounds
A trauma surgeon is a surgeon trained to assess and treat people with sudden, serious physical injuries, such as those from crashes, falls or…
Read article
Preparing for Shoulder Replacement: Imaging, Blood Work, Fasting and the Medicine Pause
Preparing for shoulder replacement surgery usually means a pre-operative visit with X-rays and often a CT scan, blood tests and sometimes a heart tracing,…
Read article
Wrist Pain: The Common Causes From Typing to Weightlifting
Wrist pain most often comes from one of five sources: strained ligaments after a fall, overloaded tendons from repetitive or forceful use, a pinched…
Read article
Your Baby’s First Clubfoot Appointment: What the Orthopedic Exam Checks and What to Bring
A baby's first clubfoot appointment is mainly a hands-on orthopedic examination. The clinician checks whether the foot is a flexible positional foot or a…
Read article
Ergonomic Chairs and Desk Setup: What Actually Reduces Back and Neck Pain
An ergonomic chair reduces back and neck pain mainly by supporting the lower back's natural curve, keeping hips and knees roughly level, and letting…
Read article
Allograft vs Autograft Bone Grafting: Why Your Surgeon May Choose Donor Bone
An autograft is bone taken from your own body; an allograft is sterilized bone from a screened human donor. Autograft carries living cells and…
Read article
The Types of Arthritis Explained (and Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid)
There are more than 100 forms of arthritis, but seven account for most diagnoses: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic…
Read article
Chiropractic Care: What the Evidence Supports and What It Does Not
Chiropractic care has moderate evidence for easing low back pain and some neck pain, with spinal manipulation performing about as well as exercise or…
Read article
Robotic Knee Replacement Recovery: When Walking, Stairs and Physical Therapy Begin
Recovery after robotic knee replacement follows the same broad timeline as conventional knee replacement: most people stand and take a few steps with a…
Read article
Pillar Pain and Scar Tenderness After Carpal Tunnel Surgery: Normal Healing or a Problem?
Pillar pain after carpal tunnel surgery is aching or tenderness in the heel of the hand, on either side of the incision, that usually…
Read article
SI Joint Pain: The Often-Missed Cause of Low Back and Buttock Pain
SI joint pain comes from the sacroiliac joints, the two joints that connect the base of the spine to the pelvis. It usually causes…
Read article
Heel Pain: Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles or Something Else: How to Tell
Heel pain is most often plantar fasciitis, which causes a sharp pain under the heel with the first steps of the morning. Pain at…
Read article
Anterior Hip Replacement: How the Front Approach Differs, and for Whom
Anterior hip replacement reaches the hip joint through the front of the thigh, working between muscles rather than detaching them. Research suggests modestly less…
Read article
Posture Correctors: Do They Work, or Weaken the Muscles That Should Hold You Up?
A posture corrector can work as a short-term reminder that gently pulls the shoulders back, and small studies show people slouch less while wearing…
Read article
Is My Cast Too Tight? Numbness, Color Changes and Fracture Warning Signs to Report
A cast may be too tight if the pain keeps climbing despite elevation and prescribed pain relief, if fingers or toes turn pale, blue…
Read article
When a Broken Shoulder Is Replaced Rather Than Repaired: Shoulder Prosthesis After Fracture
A shoulder prosthesis for fracture is an artificial ball, or ball and socket, implanted when the top of the upper arm bone has shattered…
Read article
Aesthetic Foot Surgery Results: What Toe Shortening and Foot Narrowing Realistically Change
Aesthetic foot surgery results are usually modest and structural: toe shortening removes a small segment of bone so a long toe sits level with…
Read article