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1. Who is an Orthopaedist?
An orthopaedist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to the skeletal system. An orthopaedic doctor attends to any disorder or condition or injury pertaining to the bones, muscles, joints, and ligaments associated with the skeletal system. These medical professionals treat conditions like arthritis, back pain, sports injuries, and leg and foot pain
2. What is the difference between an Orthopaedist and an Orthopaedic surgeon?
Orthopaedists are sometimes mistakenly referred to as orthopaedic surgeons. An orthopaedist deals with conditions related to the musculoskeletal system. He provides pre-surgical consultation and post-surgical follow up. An orthopaedic surgeon provides same care as orthopaedist, but performs surgery as well. He performs surgery to cure back pain, ruptured discs, bone tumours, carpal tunnel, arthritis and other injuries.
3. Does an Orthopaedist treat foot and ankle related problems?
Yes, an orthopaedist deals with musculoskeletal problems within the body. Problems related to foot and ankle fall under this category. Common foot problems like bunions, ankle sprains, arthritis, and sports injury are treated by an orthopaedist. Diagnosis of foot and ankle related problems are done through imaging tests. The mode of treatment depends on the severity of the problem.
4. Does one need a doctor referral to see an Orthopaedist?
One can consult an orthopaedist by booking an appointment. Consultation with the orthopaedist is conducted in his/her clinic or at a healthcare centre. In some cases, patients go to a general physician for any condition or disorder related to the musculoskeletal system. Once preliminary investigation is done, the general physician may refer the patient to an orthopaedist for further examination.
5. Does an Orthopaedist treat sport injuries?
Sport injuries are mostly related to the musculoskeletal system. Injuries like ligament tear, sprains, fractures, muscle pull, or bruises are commonly encountered in sports. An orthopaedist is the right medical doctor to consult for sport injuries. After physical examination, the orthopaedist may ask for imaging tests for confirming the extent of damage and then treat accordingly.
Orthopedists or Orthopedic doctors are medical practitioners who are specialized in diagnosing, preventing and treating medical conditions related to joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. They treat conditions like sports injuries, arthritis, osteoporosis, bone tumors, back pain, spinal stenosis, tendon & ankle injuries etc.
A 5-year medical degree [MBBS] that is recognized by the General Medical Council and a 2-year foundation course of general training are the basic requirements for an individual to be a doctor. However, following are the specialties or extra qualifications required to be an Orthopedist:
Yes, Orthopedists are different and are commonly mistaken for Orthopedic surgeons. An Orthopedist provides pre-surgical consultations and post-surgical consultations. Orthopedic surgeons, on the other hand, provide the same care as an Orthopedist but perform the surgery as well. Surgery is done for back pain, ruptured discs, bone tumors, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and other injuries.
Orthopedists examine, diagnose, and treat diseases related to bones, ligaments, joints, and muscles throughout the human body. Podiatrists are doctors who are specialized in treating medical conditions related to the foot, ankle, and lower extremity. However, Podiatrists can treat knee injuries and hip injuries as they may be caused due to foot or ankle deformities. Therefore, based on the cause of an illness, one can consult either an Orthopedist or Podiatrist.
Some of the conditions treated by an Orthopedist are:
The following are the most common procedures performed by an Orthopedist:
You can consult an Orthopedist either online or offline. However, depending on the availability of the doctor and the convenience of the patient, pre-booking may be required for consultation.
It is recommended that an individual visit an Orthopedist once a year to check the medical condition of their bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, if a person is suffering from related diseases or conditions, they must consult an Orthopedist as advised and follow up regularly.