Orthopedist
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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[Who is an orthopedist?
Orthopedist - a doctor who is engaged in the treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, caused by malformations or diseases. Children's orthopedist studies the causes of congenital pathologies of bones and muscles, eliminates deformities and restores the functions of the musculoskeletal system. It is used as conservative methods of treatment (exercise therapy, physiotherapy, orthopedic insoles, corsets, tires, artificial limbs, plaster bandages, manual therapy) and surgical operations: osteotomy, tendon transplantation.
The orthopedist is trained in a residency or graduate school of a medical university. Within the framework of the course, they study the surgery of catastrophes, prosthetics, rehabilitation. Orthopedists work in clinics of endoprosthetics, rehabilitation centers, orthopedic sanatoria, polyclinics. Orthopedics is one of the most complex and demanded medical specialties. Due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the greatest number of patients become disabled.
Examinations of a pediatric orthopedist are mandatory at 1, 3, 9 months of life and before entering the kindergarten. It is necessary to turn to a pediatric orthopedist for violating the posture of a schoolboy, when starting sports or dancing, if the movement is difficult, the coordination is impaired, the child is clumsy if the feet are painful when walking. Any violation of posture and gait is in the competence of an orthopedic physician.
Orthopedists of Ukraine are increasingly on probation in the countries of Western Europe. Modern achievements of orthopedics in our country allow to effectively carry out the prevention and treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and carry out rehabilitation after injuries. Some clinics provide medical services at the level of European clinics. There is an exchange of experience, there are internships and exchange programs.
Most orthopedic patients are treated in a polyclinic. Operative intervention is not used as often as it seems at first glance.
What does the orthopedist do?
Orthopedist deals with the treatment of flat feet, scoliosis, the consequences of injuries, congenital malformations with the help of exercise therapy, manual therapy or surgery. He heals clubfoot, torticollis, joint pathology, corrects their vicious situation. The orthopedist treats traumas: sprains, bruises, dislocations, fractures, burns.
The spine is paying for our ability to go straight from the moment we take the first steps. During the course of his life he experiences enormous loads. Problems with the pathology of the spine are also handled by the orthopedist. The most common problem since childhood is scoliosis.
Children and adults with diseases of the musculoskeletal system orthopedic can write out the manufacture of individual orthopedic insoles. Also, he can prescribe a course of curative physical education, conduct medical measures for domestic and sports injuries.
In neglected cases, the patient is transferred into the hands of orthopedic surgeons specializing in endoprosthetics (replacing the joint with artificial joints). It may be necessary for a disease such as arthrosis, when cartilage is worn out in the joint or in fractures, for example, the neck of the hip. Also in the competence of a doctor-orthopedist - treatment of deformations of the neck and chest. A pediatric orthopedist helps children with complications after cerebral palsy and poliomyelitis to get on their feet together with a neurologist. An important role in orthopedic examination in the prevention and treatment of hip dysplasia and congenital dislocation of the hip. Orthopedist also treats rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, bursitis - inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the joints.
If you have people with neurological diseases in your family, or if you got a trauma in the past, you had an accident, do not forget to show the orthopedist once a year. This will save you from complications.
The orthopedist conducts an examination on the couch, assesses the volume of movements in the joint and appoints ultrasound of joints, x-rays, MRI or CT.
Wounds and fractures were treated by the ancient Incas, they were able to perform operations on the skull, to direct dislocations and to coalesce bones.
With the development of orthopedics, the orthopedic profession became highly technological. The orthopedist must possess an engineering mentality, have golden hands, be able to apply in practice knowledge about the biomechanics of the body. Today the pioneer in the development of orthopedics is Germany. A good orthopedist is responsible, has the skills of an engineer and sculptor, he has excellent fine motor skills and a pronounced tendency to work with his hands. The ability to empathize must be combined with determination. The orthopedist should be able to correctly decipher X-ray images, sections of MRI.
What diseases does the orthopedist cure?
We have the opportunity to walk and jump thanks to bones and joints. In our youth they are very strong and flexible. But gradually age makes itself felt. And some people have problems with joints that are inherent in nature. Orthopedic diagnoses today numbered a few hundred.
When to consult an orthopedist:
- With pain in the hands, shoulders.
- With pain in the knee and thigh.
- With low back pain.
- With pain in the foot.
- With problems with posture.
- With fractures, dislocations.
- If the joints crunch or hurt the weather.
With flat feet, the arches of the foot fall. Causes of flatfoot: congenital weakness of ligaments, overweight. If in the evening you are very tired feet, hurts the lower back, increases the size of the foot, do not delay the trip to the clinic. The treatment of flat feet is aimed at strengthening the muscles. A complete cure is impossible.
Dysplasia, fractures and arthrosis most often lead to the need to replace joints. Endoprosthetics is a very complex operation, which is performed by an orthopedic surgeon.
In case of personal injuries and injuries, the orthopedist can also help.
Young, adjacent to the orthopedic direction of clinical medicine, is vertebrology. The vertebrologist deals only with the spine: degenerative diseases, deformities and vertebral column fractures. Surgical methods, stretching, massage are used. Among the diagnostic methods are CT, MRI and ultrasound.
It is necessary to get on reception in vertebrologu at pains in a backbone influencing your activity, delicacies in extremities.
Orthopedist's advice
For the prevention of motion sickness in school children need to adhere to certain rules:
- Select the desks according to the growth of children.
- Hold five-minute pauses in the middle of the lesson, during which children lean, shake hands, etc.
- The length of the seat should correspond to the length of the child's thighs.
- When sitting, the knee and thigh of the child form a right angle.
- The back of the child should rest on the back of the chair.
- An empty student's backpack should not weigh more than 500 g, for a child in grades 1-3 the total weight of a backpack with textbooks and notebooks should not be more than 2 kg. For pupils of the senior classes - more than 3.5 kg. Buy should be orthopedic backpacks with a hard back. The backpack should be worn simultaneously on both straps.
- Neurological diseases and low physical activity, overweight and incorrectly selected footwear often lead to the development of flat feet in preschool, junior and middle school years. Bundles when walking on an even surface are stretched. Also, from flat feet, exercises with walking on heels and toes are ineffective. It is better to walk barefoot on pebbles. Shoes for younger students are better to choose with a hard back.
The orthopedist helps to keep the motor activity from childhood to old age.