Orthopedic Medicine
All Orthopedic Medicine information on Ewtrf.org
Orthopedic Jobs
Orthopedics is the specialty of medicine that involves the treatment of injuries and diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system. Although orthopedics is primarily thought of as a surgical specialty, there are an increasing range of non-surgical treatments and there are a wide range of people other than surgeons who work in orthopedics.
Orthopedic doctors work with non-surgical methods to treat injuries and diseases that affect the musculoskeletal system. Common methods of treatment include the prescription of medication to reduce inflammation and pain and the use of physical therapy. Orthopedic physicians commonly work with sports injuries. Some doctors specialize in sports medicine. They may help to prevent injuries as well as to treat injuries that have already occurred. Others specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation, helping patients to recover from injuries or to cope with long-term disabilities and diseases.
Orthopedic surgeons can help to repair the damage that has been caused by an injury or a disease affecting the musculoskeletal system. Surgeons can repair or remove damaged tissue, or use an implant to hold a fractured bone in place while it heals. They can also replace damaged joins with artificial ones. Orthopedic surgery is usually reserved for the most serious injuries and cases of advanced disease.
Orthopedic physicians' assistants can help to treat patients with orthopedic conditions, under the supervision of a physician. They may interpret x-rays and other diagnostic tests, treat injuries, apply casts and splints, or assist with therapy.
Orthopedic technicians are responsible for constructing and fitting the prosthetics, casts and braces that patients with musculoskeletal disorders need. They work closely with orthopedic physicians and with patients in order to ensure that the appliances they create are properly fitted and that they provide the patient with the mobility that they need.
Physical therapists often work in orthopedics. They can help patients to cope with and recover from injuries and surgery. Physical therapists work with the patient using exercise and movement to help them to make a quicker and fuller recovery, to build up their strength and to increase their mobility. Physical therapists often work with their patients over an extended period since it can take some time to recover from a serious injury.
Orthopedic nurses specialize in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. They practice a range of specialized skills including the use of casts and traction and the care and monitoring of patients who are receiving orthopedic treatment.
There is also a lot of crossover between orthopedics and other fields of medicine. Patients sometimes need to be seen by a number of different doctors or specialists, so someone who specializes in orthopedics will often have to work with specialists in other fields, such as emergency medicine. A patient may be brought into the emergency department after an accident, for example, and may be referred to an orthopedic surgeon by an ER doctor. It is also true that physicians working in other fields will sometimes treat conditions and perform treatments that are usually associated with orthopedics. There is some crossover between orthopedics and emergency plastic surgery, for example.
For further information on orthopedics and careers in orthopedic medicine and surgery, see ewtrf.org.