Injuries Treated by Orthopedists
Orthopedic doctors work with the body’s joint and musculoskeletal system. Oftentimes, car accidents result in injuries of this nature, especially if there are broken bones, sprains, or fractures. Therefore, if you are involved in a Bucks County auto accident, your injuries may be best diagnosed and treated by an orthopedic doctor. In most cases you will need to be referred to an orthopedist by your family doctor or emergency room physician.
Depending on the injury, your orthopedic doctor may provide medication to reduce pain and inflammation. In the case of severe accident injuries, your orthopedist might recommend surgery.
Type of Injuries Orthopedists Treat:
Ankle injuries – Because of the position of your foot when you are driving, this type of car accident injury is not uncommon. Injuries to the ankle can include a strain, sprain, or fracture. It is important for you to get a proper orthopedic diagnosis before you begin treatment. The orthopedic treatment for a sprain is most often crutches because walking becomes too painful. For more serious sprains, a splint or cast can be used to stabilize the ankle. Fractures can also be treated with a splint or a cast.
Knee injuries – Commonly associated with auto accidents due to the likelihood of your knee hitting the steering wheel, car door, or dash area. Because there is no quick fix for a knee injury, it is recommended that you see a doctor as soon as possible to ensure proper healing or to have surgery performed, if necessary. One of the treatments that orthopedists recommend is a technique called RICE. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. An orthopedist may follow-up his/her treatment plan with physical therapy, especially if surgery was necessary to treat your accident injury.
Shoulder injuries – An orthopedist may suggest that you wear a sling or a brace to keep the injured shoulder in its place so the shoulder heals properly. Rest and ice are also important to healing. If your shoulder is dislocated, an orthopedist may perform a procedure that places the ball back into the socket. You may also suffer a torn rotator cuff after a PA auto accident, making it necessary for you to be treated by an orthopedist.
Spinal injuries – A spinal fracture is one of the more serious injuries one can sustain in a car accident. Orthopedists treat these types of injuries both non-invasively and surgically, depending on the degree of damage to the spine and/or spinal discs. Common accident injuries an orthopedist would treat include: herniated discs, spinal stenosis, lumbar strain, and fractured vertebrae. With spine injuries, an orthopedic doctor is involved in diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating the injured car accident victim. An orthopedic surgeon is one of the types of doctors that would perform procedures to the back and neck such as spinal fusion or laminectomy.
Wrist injuries – Because of where we naturally place our hand on the steering wheel while driving, our wrists can easily become injured upon impact by another car. Even if your wrist is just sprained (as opposed to broken), this involves an injury to a ligament, which can be painful. Just like with an ankle injury, the RICE method is often recommended by orthopedic doctors. After being examined by your orthopedic doctor, a splint or cast might be applied, depending on the severity of the injury. If necessary, an orthopedic surgeon would repair your wrist bone or ligament damage.
As you can see, many accident injuries require the attention of an orthopedic doctor or surgeon. If you are in a car accident and are unsure of the next step to take with regard to your treatment or filing a PA injury claim, call our Bucks County personal injury law firm to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. You can also visit our website to download your FREE copy of our PA Car Accident Book.
