You may have suffered from an injury and have been told that you need to see an orthopedic surgeon. That has left you asking what is an orthopedic surgeon? To keep it simple, an orthopedic doctor is a specialized doctor in orthopedic surgery. The first word that needs to be understood is orthopedics.
Orthopedics is the study of injury and disease of the body’s musculoskeletal system. The system is complex and includes muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. More recently people have been gaining greater understanding about fascia as well. The system is what allows humans to move and be active. Any sport-related injury that requires surgery is going to go through an orthopedic doctor.
What is an Orthopedic Surgeon?
Orthopedic surgeons now provide orthopedic surgery to people of all ages. It started out as a field only for children, but it has advanced past that now. Orthopedic doctors can do the following for problems involving the musculoskeletal system.
- Diagnosis: diagnosing any injury or disorder to the musculoskeletal system
- Treatment: decide on the best means of treatment moving forward
- Rehab: if rehab is needed, an orthopedic surgeon will refer you to a physical therapist
- Prevention: orthopedics have a deep understanding of the musculoskeletal system, and they can help you prevent any disease or further injury to the system
- Orthopedic Surgery is always provided by an orthopedic doctor in cases where surgery is needed for proper healing
Orthopedic surgeons still decide to specialize even further down. The human body is so complex that being a surgeon for the entire body can be tough. Some of the specialties of an orthopedic surgeon include:
- Sports Medicine
- Foot and ankle
- Hand
- Shoulder
- Spine
- Hip
- Knee
- Pediatrics
- Trauma
What is an Orthopedic Surgeon? – Education and Training
When asking, what is an Orthopedic surgeon, you must understand what education takes place to give your first orthopedic surgery. An orthopedic surgeon is a trained medical doctor that must complete med school and then go on to receive more extensive training. The comprehensive training consists of studying injuries and the entire musculoskeletal system further.
- Four years of study for an undergraduate degree
- Four years of medical school
- Five years of training in an orthopedic residency
- One or two optional years of fellowship in the area of specialty
The student must be able to pass the exam by orthopedic surgery governing body like the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery to keep moving forward. After passing, they must go through a lifelong learning process to maintain their certification. Medicine is always changing, and those giving orthopedic surgery must work hard to keep up.
Board certification is an essential step for an orthopedic surgeon. It involves a peer reviews process as well as a written and verbal exam. The best surgeons to visit are the ones that are board certified. To be able to continue giving orthopedic surgery you must undergo difficult recertification process every ten years.
What is An Orthopedic Surgeon? – Treatment Options
For most orthopedic conditions, there are multiple ways of treating these conditions. Some of these solutions include surgeries as others include rehab, lifestyle changes, and medicine. If you want to go the more natural route, you should let your orthopedic surgeon know this pretty early on. A visit with an orthopedic surgeon can go a lot of different ways depending on the condition that you are dealing with.
What is an Orthopedic Surgeon? – Surgical Treatment
An orthopedic surgeon is trained to give numerous forms of surgery.
- Arthroscopy – Using the particular camera to address problems inside of a joint
- Fusion – a process of joining multiple bones together with bone grafts
- Internal Fixation – Holding broken bones in place internally with screws and plates while the bone heals
- Soft Tissue Repair – Repairing soft tissue such as muscle, ligaments, and tendons
- Osteotomy – Correcting a bone deformity by putting it back into its proper place
- Joint Replacement – When a joint is replaced with an artificial joint called a prosthesis
What is an Orthopedic Surgeon? – Types of Injuries Treated
- Finger and toe issues
- Back pain
- Ruptured discs
- Sciatica pain
- Scoliosis
- Clubfoot
- Bunions
- Bone tumors
- Muscular dystrophy
- Sports or work-related injuries
- osteoporosis
- Tendon injuries
- Muscle injuries
- Bursitis
- Torn ligaments
- Sprained ligaments
- and much more
Finding The Best Local Orthopedic Doctor for Orthopedic Surgery
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Having a relationship with an orthopedic doctor that you trust is important.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist with any skill set you need. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINT Health can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or recovering from an orthopedic surgery.
The platform makes it easy to compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. Once you are shown the best local options, how do you know which is the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.
Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers and
Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives, so you understand all the details of when asking what is an orthopedic surgeon or the roles of an orthopedic doctor?
- Dry needling
- Acupuncture
- Joint Manipulation
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Functional Movement Screen
- Fascial Stretching
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Background
- And many more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
