When to go to Urgent Care Northwest DC

Many people have trouble understanding the difference between urgent care and the emergency room.  Thinking of it in terms of a relationship with a primary care doctor may be helpful.  While an open relationship with a primary care physician is one of the most important supports for life-long good health, these physicians usually have typical business hours, or perhaps hours that are just slightly extended to accommodate those who also work during business hours.  Unfortunately, not all health crisis follow business hours.

Urgent care is intended to be a temporary substitute for a visit to the primary care physician, but is not intended to take the place of the emergency room.  Urgent Care Northwest DC is appropriate for after-hours or holiday and weekend concerns that would have been taken to the PCP’s office if they had occurred during their hours of business.

Urgent Care Conditions Northwest DC

These are some of the conditions that can usually be treated in Urgent Care DC:

• Flu-like symptoms normally resolve on their own within a few days.  Staff at an urgent clinic can provide support care for symptoms to reduce them and make patients feel a bit less miserable.
• Dehydration, which means the body isn’t able to retain enough fluids, can come along with many other minor conditions that cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.  Care at an urgent clinic can offer a few solutions to specifically address dehydration, and can advise patients and families on the types of liquids that are best for consuming to treat dehydration.
• Fever that does not occur with a rash is appropriate for an urgent care clinic setting.  If, however, the fever is accompanied by a rash, this is a possible indicator of a much more serious situation that should be treated at the emergency room.
• Abdominal pain that is not too severe is appropriate for evaluation in this setting.  Stomach discomfort can often be resolved fairly easily when it is the result of a digestive upset.
• Sprains and strains of the body’s extremities can be cared for in an urgent clinic setting.  In situations where a break is suspected, go to the emergency room instead.

Total Hip Replacement Doctor Baltimore Treats Hip Pain

Your hip is the ball-and-socket joint where the pelvis and the femur meet.  Damage to this joint can be debilitating, and severe damage can need treatment from a total hip replacement doctor Baltimore.

Total hip replacement doctor Baltimore evaluates joint damage

Common conditions that can lead to hip pain and limited range of motion in your hip include osteoarthritis and hip fractures.  Osteoarthrosis is a chronic, degenerative condition that breaks down joint cartilage.  A hip fracture is a break in the top part of the femur.  Your hip replacement doctor Baltimore will determine the cause of your hip pain based on your symptoms, your medical history, a physical exam, and diagnostic tests.  Diagnostic tests used by your hip replacement doctor Baltimore can include:

• Imaging tests: Tests such as x-rays or MRIs can show fractures and other damage to the joint.
• Arthroscopy: During this procedure, your hip replacement doctor Baltimore MD inserts a tiny camera into the joint.  The images sent from the camera help him or her evaluate the severity of the damage to your joint.

Based on your symptoms, exams, and diagnostic tests, your hip replacement doctor Baltimore may recommend total hip replacement surgery Baltimore or other treatments if the damage is not severe.  Some types of hip fractures can be treated with metal devices to strengthen and stabilize the joint.  Osteoarthritis gets worse overtime, so if the disease is in early stages your hip replacement doctor Baltimore MD may recommend treatments such as assistive devices, medication, and physical therapy.

Total hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD

For a severely damaged hip joint, your hip replacement doctor Baltimore MD may recommend total hip replacement surgery Baltimore.  During hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD, your doctor removes the damaged parts of the joint and replaces them with artificial parts.  Some hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD patients are candidates for a minimally invasive procedure that uses only small incisions and some will need a more traditional procedure that uses one, longer incision.  Recovery from hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD can take several months.  Visit www.medstarunionortho.org to learn more about total hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD.

Total Hip Replacement Doctor Baltimore can Treat Osteoarthritis

A total hip replacement doctor Baltimore is an expert in treating severe pain and limited range of motion in the hip.  This pain can have different causes, but the most common condition to need a total hip replacement Baltimore MD is osteoarthritis.

Cartilage breakdown can need total hip replacement Baltimore MD

There are many different types of arthritis but osteoarthrosis is the most common one.  It is a chronic disease that involves the breakdown of joint cartilage.  Cartilage is a material that covers and protects the ends of bones.  When it wears down, bone ends can rub painfully and sometimes thicken and form grows called spurs.  It occurs most often in the hands, knees, hip, and spine.  When the hip is affected, hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD may be needed.

Symptoms that hip replacement Baltimore may be necessary

Symptoms of osteoarthritis usually start mild and do not need total hip replacement surgery Baltimore until they become severe, which can take years.  Symptoms that you may someday need treatment from a hip replacement doctor Baltimore include:

• Joint pain
• Joint stiffness
• Limited movement in the joint
• Grinding feeling when moving the joint

Total hip replacement doctor Baltimore may recommend other treatments

Before recommending total hip replacement Baltimore MD to treat your osteoarthritis, your doctor may recommend non-surgical treatments such as:

• Stretching and strengthening exercises
• Heat treatment
• Physical therapy
• Weight loss
• Medicines
• Injections into the joint

Total hip replacement surgery Baltimore

When non-surgical treatments do not help and symptoms become severe, it may be time for total hip replacement Baltimore.  During this procedure, your hip replacement doctor Baltimore MD removes the damaged parts of the hip joint and replaces them with a prosthesis.  The prosthesis used in total hip replacement Baltimore MD includes a stem that fits into the thigh bone, a ball that fits on the stem, and a cup that is inserted into the socket.  Sometimes your hip replacement doctor Baltimore can complete this procedure using a minimally invasive procedure that uses smaller incisions and has a shorter recovery time.

Full recovery from total hip replacement Baltimore can take several weeks.  Many people find that after recovery they have normal mobility and can lead normal lives, but after hip replacement surgery Baltimore MD you will also have to be especially careful to avoid falls and activities that can damage your artificial joint.

Procedure for Severe Back Pain Baltimore MD Caused by Scoliosis

Scoliosis is when the spine is curved when viewed from the back.  A small degree of curvature may not need treatment, but larger curves may require a procedure for severe back pain Baltimore MD.

What causes scoliosis?

Usually, the cause of scoliosis is unknown.  When there is a known cause it can be:

• Marfan’s syndrome
• Cerebral palsy
• Birth defects
• Injury
• Infection
• Tumors

Symptoms that fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD may be necessary

In addition to the abnormal curve in the spine, symptoms that you may have scoliosis and may need a procedure for severe back pain Baltimore include:

• Difference in shoulder height
• Head not centered with the rest of the body
• Difference in hip height
• When standing straight, the arms hang differently
• When bending forward, sides of the back appear different in height

Diagnosing the need for a procedure for severe back pain Baltimore MD

A physical exam and x-rays are the main ways that doctors diagnose scoliosis that may need a procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD.  Your doctor will use images such as x-rays and MRIs to determine the curvature of your spine.  Curves of less than 20 degrees usually do not need treatment.

Scoliosis treatment

A curve of less than 45 degrees is more likely to be treated with non-surgical methods instead of a surgical procedure for severe back pain Baltimore.  The goal of scoliosis treatment is usually to stop the progression of the curve and to prevent deformity.  The first treatment for scoliosis is usually observation and repeated exams.  This can help determine if the curve is getting worse.  Curves that are getting worse usually require bracing.  The type of brace and the time spent in it will depend on the severity of the condition and if the person is still growing.

Surgical procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD

A surgical procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD may be recommended if the curve is more than 45 degrees and bracing is not slowing the curve.  Surgery for scoliosis usually includes the fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD.  When they fuse small vertebrae together Baltimore MD, 2 or more vertebrae are connected using a bone graft or an artificial bone-like substance.

Fuse Small Vertebrae Together Baltimore MD to Treat Back Pain

Your spinal column is made up of small bones called vertebrae that are separated by discs to allow for movement.  The vertebrae protect your spinal cord, which is responsible for carrying information between your brain and the rest of your body.  When conditions cause vertebrae to move against each other more than usual, it can lead to back pain. Sometimes, doctors can limit movement and pain by doing a procedure that allows them to fuse small vertebrae together Baltimore MD.

Conditions treated with a procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD

There are many different conditions that can lead to severe back pain that may be alleviated with the fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD.  These can include:

• Degenerative disc diseases
• Spinal stenosis
• Fractures
• Herniated discs
• Scoliosis

Fuse small vertebrae together Baltimore MD

The fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD uses bone or an artificial bone-like material to permanently attach 2 or more vertebrae so they no longer move.  This procedure for severe back pain Baltimore MD can be done on the top, middle, or bottom part of the spinal column. Depending on your condition and the location of your back pain, this procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD can sometimes be done using a minimally invasive procedure.  Minimally invasive fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD uses smaller incisions than traditional surgery which can mean a shorter recovery time.

After your fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD

It can take a few months after your fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD for the bone graft the vertebrae to become one solid piece.  During the procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD, your surgeon will place metal plates and screws to help keep it stable while it heals.

After your procedure to heal painful small back bones Baltimore MD, you may have decreased flexibility in your spine.  This usually is not a problem immediately, but over time this limited mobility can lead to added stress on nearby parts of the spine.  You can learn more about the fusion of small back bones Baltimore MD at www.medstarunionortho.org.

Knee replacement doctor Baltimore selection is a personal choice

The things that people have done to their bodies either as a medical necessity or as elective procedures are done for many different reasons. These procedures can be done in order to help people feel more comfortable and confident with themselves as well as to correct medical concerns, but each time, a medical professional will need to be found and selected to complete the procedures. For something as in-depth as a total knee replacement surgery, it’s essential to choose a surgeon and a medical team that have a lot of experience with total knee replacement surgery and recovery assistance. This makes the entire process go more smoothly, and can help patients feel more comfortable about working with the medical team.

A knee replacement doctor Baltimore can change a patient’s life

Total knee replacement surgery is often done for patients that have a lot of mobility and pain issues. This surgery is completed by removing the damaged knee joint and replacing it with a new artificial one. This means that patients won’t have to worry about the degradation of the bones and the joint over time, because it’s designed to be efficient and long lasting.

Knee surgery doctors and surgeons are trained to provide quality, focused care to patients when they need it most, and it means being vigilant about the services they provide and they ways that they interact with patients on a daily basis. Since most people have never had knee surgery previously, it’s important to do some research before choosing the team that will perform the procedure. While it may seem like something that can just be done by finding the best, this is actually not always the best option. For some, it will be about looking to find a medical team that has experience with specifics – patients of a certain age, those who have treated athletes in the past, those who work in facilities that also offer state of the art rehab… it all depends on personal preferences.

The idea behind total knee replacement surgery Baltimore is to give patients a chance to get their lives back on track and to eliminate pain and discomfort. Since people feel comfortable and happy with different things, the knee replacement doctor Baltimore chosen is a very personal choice and should not be done without careful consideration and research.

Recent Advances in Spinal Fusion Surgery Baltimore

Today, advances in all kinds of medical treatments are happening so quickly that it is difficult to keep up.  One intervention that has been available for a while to individuals who have not achieved relief from back and lower extremity pain through non-invasive means is spinal fusion surgery Baltimore.  In the past, those who have wished to pursue this surgical option have needed to choose a source of bone grafting material from one of two options:

• An autograft could be obtained from the patient’s own body.  Usually, this means making a second incision in the thigh to take the bone material from the femur, which is the long thigh bone.  It is clearly less than desirable to create this second incision unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Grafting material obtained from a cadaver is called an allograft.  While utilizing an allograft eliminates the need for a second surgical incision, it has its own disadvantages.  Perhaps most notably, it exposes the patient to any blood-borne pathogens that may have been carried by the deceased donor.

New Developments in Spinal Fusion

Early in 2018, a biomedical research firm announced that it had successfully created bone grafting material in a laboratory.  While lab-grown bone cells have not yet been used in spinal fusion surgery procedures Baltimore MD, (https://www.medstarunionortho.org) they have been successful in healing severely broken bones when injected into the site of the break.  It makes sense that this kind of scientifically manufactured bone material will soon be available for use in surgeries that seek to fuse two or more bones into a single, rigid structure.  The process of fusing bones together is virtually identical to the process a broken bone goes through as it heals.

Utilizing lab-grown bone grafting material to fuse together vertebrae in an attempt to cure back and upper- or lower-extremity pain can represent the best of both worlds in spinal fusion Baltimore situations.  The necessary bone material is obtained without making a second surgical incision.  Additionally, the patient’s own fat cells can be used to grow the bone cells in the laboratory, ensuring that they are a perfect match and will be accepted by the rest of the body’s systems without any complications.

What does hip replacement Baltimore do?

All surgeries are done with the intent to make the patient’s life better in some manner. Some surgeries are by choice, meaning that they are done without an overall need to complete them. Examples of this include things like Lasik eye surgery and cosmetic surgery. Other surgery types are completed because of an immediate need for the procedure to be done. Sometimes it’s because of a medical emergency, while other times the surgery is performed because it’s necessary, but not immediately required. No matter what type of a surgery a patient needs, it’s a good idea to be informed about the procedure, the potential outcome and the work that will go into preparing, having the surgery done and then healing.

Hip replacement Baltimore is a helpful procedure

A hip replacement surgery Baltimore is meant to help patients improve mobility by giving them a new joint in place of a deteriorated one – the hips play a big part in daily movement and bodily health. This surgery sounds very complicated, but in truth, it is actually a simple one that has been perfected throughout the years.

Hip replacement Baltimore is done by making an incision in the side of the hip. Through this, the damaged joint will be removed and replaced with an implant. This implant is made out of a durable material that is designed to seamlessly integrate itself into the remaining bone over time. This implant is typically good for many years (over 20) at a time, thanks to medical advancements that have been made throughout the years.

After this joint is inserted into the area, patients will need to take time to heal, allowing the body to get used to the changes. During this time, medical professionals recommend following a very specific set of instructions in order to promote healing without injuring the surgical site – and potentially dislocating the replaced hip. This is when patients will re-learn how to walk, how to sit and stand and even how to climb into and out of bed, out of the car, and even out of the shower or tub. There is a lot to think about, but it’s all worth it.

The body’s joints can deteriorate for many different reasons, which means that people of all ages may need hip surgery. This is a procedure that can be put off until things get unbearable, but why? Since this surgery can give people back a sense of freedom and comfort, why put this off any longer than necessary? Learn more about hip surgery Baltimore MD by visiting https://www.medstarunionortho.org.

Why Consult a Hip Replacement Doctor Baltimore?

This hip is one of the largest joints in the body, and also one of the strongest.  It is capable of holding up an adult body for extended periods of time, sometimes even while performing complex feats of endurance or athleticism.  This joint is, in fact, capable of bearing five times the weight of an average-size adult!  It is really an a miracle of biological engineering.

When a Hip Replacement Doctor Baltimore MD is Needed

Given these facts, it is also not surprising that sometimes, the hip joint fails.  In order to understand how this happens, it is necessary to understand a bit more about the functioning of the hip joint and the circumstances under which a hip replacement doctor Baltimore may need to intervene.

There are basically only four bones that make up the hip joint.  It is a ball and socket type joint, with the ball being located at upper end of the femur, which is the long thigh bone.  The pelvis contains the socket part of the joint.  It is made up of three bones, the ilium, the ischium and the pubis.  The joint is made to move smoothly and painlessly by a layer of cartilage about a quarter of an inch thick.  The cartilage is located on the ball and inside of socket.  Like other joints, the hip is lined with a synovial membrane.  The membrane produces synovial fluid, effectively lubricating the hip joint.

A few conditions can cause the difficulty in the functioning of this joint.  Of course, parts of the skeletal system, including the femur or pelvis, can be broken by a traumatic injury.  More commonly, though, degenerative diseases take hold as individuals age and cause a gradual decline in functioning, eventually necessitating consultation with a hip replacement doctor Baltimore MD (https://www.medstarunionortho.org).

Conditions like osteoarthritis cause the cartilage and synovial lining to dry out, essentially eliminating the hip’s natural lubrication process.  These types of degenerative diseases can impact other joints in the body as well.  Unfortunately, damage to the hip joint is very hard to ignore because it functions daily to maintain an upright posture and facilitate a variety of movements.

Choosing Spinal Fusion Surgery Baltimore

Spinal fusion refers to a group of surgeries meant to relieve pain somewhere in the back, or in the extremities such as the feet and legs or shoulders and arms when they are impacted in a secondary way by problems with the spine and central nervous system.  The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord.  The spine is basically a long stack of small bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other to form a column, as in spinal column.  Running down the middle of each of the small, stacked bones is a canal that holds and protects the spinal cord.  Major nerves that bring sensations to all parts of the body extend out of the spinal cord and spinal column.  A spinal fusion surgery Baltimore seeks to join together one or more of the individual vertebrae into a single piece of bone.

Spinal Fusion Procedures Aren’t Right for Everyone

While back pain is a common complaint in the United States today, spinal fusion procedures Baltimore MD are not right for every patient.  There are three major cases in which this type of surgery is contraindicated.

• The patient who is going to undergo the procedure has to be completely committed to the process.  The recovery from this kind of surgery takes a minimum of three to six months, and can take as much as a year and a half.  Rigorous physical therapy is necessary throughout.
• Fusing two or more of the vertebrae in the spine does somewhat change the mechanics of the spine in a permanent way.  Some studies have indicated that when the fusion is performed in the lower spine, greater stress is placed on the joints between adjacent vertebrae that are not fused.  Therefore, patients should be carefully evaluated for extensive bone degeneration in this area before undergoing a fusion.
• Because of the complexity of the recovery process, and the possibility to cause more problems in nearby vertebrae that are not fused, patients should undergo six to twelve months of less-invasive therapies before being evaluated as surgical candidates.  Many back problems are treatable with medication and/or exercise therapies.