What Does An Orthopaedic Doctor Do?

An orthopaedic specialist is a expert trained and specialised in the diagnosis, preventive care, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.  These specialists utilise a wide treatment approach from minor injuries to complex disease management.

Orthopaedic specialists perform procedures to repair damaged joints, replace damaged joints with implants, and perform other surgeries. Some orthopaedic Singapore specialist provide patients with specialised disorder care, while others cater to all orthopaedic conditions.

Within Singapore, there are numerous categories of orthopaedic expert ranging from general orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and orthopaedic traumatologists to paediatric orthopaedic surgeons. While some doctors hold expertise in area-specific treatment, others have gained expertise in specific disease and injury management.

An orthopaedic surgeon in Singapore, such as Dr James Tan, may be specialised in conditions of specific bones and muscles in the body. These are discussed in detail below.

Common Orthopaedic Conditions

Orthopaedic conditions are all those injuries or problems that cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the muscles, joints, bones, and ligaments of one's body. There are several options available for effective orthopaedic treatment in Singapore. However, knowing the type of orthopaedic condition one is suffering from and diagnosing the underlying condition is essential to ensure effective treatment. Below are some of the common orthopaedic conditions that one might face:

Knee Pain

Causes:
Knee pain is one of the most common orthopaedic complaints and can result from a variety of issues, including:

• ACL Tears: Tears to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) or MCL (medial collateral ligament) often occur due to sports injuries or sudden twisting movements.
• Meniscus Tears: The meniscus is the cartilage between your knee bones, and it can tear during activities that cause the knee to twist or rotate.
• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis, the degeneration of joint cartilage, is a leading cause of knee pain in older adults.
• Patellar Tendonitis: Also known as "jumper’s knee," this condition involves inflammation of the tendons that connect the kneecap to the shinbone.

Symptoms:

• Pain when bending the knee
• Swelling around the knee joint
• Stiffness or difficulty while straightening the leg
• Instability or weakness in the knee

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and knee braces to support the joint.
• Surgical: For severe cases, treatments like arthroscopy (minimally invasive surgery) or knee replacement surgery may be required to repair or replace damaged tissues.

For more information about effective knee pain treatment in Singapore, contact Dr James Tan. Also check out our Meniscus Tear Treatment and ACL Tear Treatment pages.

Shoulder Pain

Causes:

Shoulder pain is a common complaint among athletes and individuals who use their shoulder joints a lot and engage in repetitive overhead activities. Common causes of shoulder pain include:

• Rotator Cuff Tear: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder joint in place. Tears often occur due to overuse or trauma.
• Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis): This condition causes stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint, often limiting motion.
• Shoulder Dislocation: The upper arm bone can pop out of the shoulder socket due to injury or trauma.

Symptoms:

• Pain when lifting or moving the arm
• Weakness in the shoulder or arm
• A clicking or grinding sensation during movement
• Limited range of motion

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Rest, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications can help restore shoulder function.
• Surgical: For severe injuries, rotator cuff repair surgery or arthroscopic shoulder surgery may be needed to repair torn tendons or ligaments.

Get more information about effective shoulder pain treatment by a specialised orthopaedic surgeon in Singapore.

Back Pain

Causes:

Back pain can be caused by several factors such as:

• Herniated Discs: This occurs when a disc in the spine ruptures, pressing on nerves and causing pain or numbness.
• Degenerative Disc Disease: The wear and tear of spinal discs over time can lead to chronic back pain, particularly in older adults.
• Sciatica: Pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, often caused by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.
• Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spaces in the spine, putting pressure on nerves and causing pain.
• Muscle Strain: Strain in the back muscles can also cause back pain.

Symptoms:

• Back pain while bending or lifting things.
• Pain radiating from the lower back down the legs (sciatica)
• Stiffness or limited movement in the back
• Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
• Weakness in the back or legs

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Physical therapy, spinal injections, and pain management techniques such as oral and topical medications and heat/cold therapy.
• Surgical: For more serious conditions, spinal surgeries like discectomy (removal of herniated disc material) or spinal fusion (joining two or more vertebrae) may be necessary.

Check out how our orthopaedic doctor Dr James Tan carries out effective back pain treatment.

Ankle Sprains

Causes:

Ankle sprains and fractures are commonly caused by:

• Twisting or Rolling of the Ankle: This is often due to sports injuries, walking on uneven surfaces, or sudden movements.
• Fractures: Occur when one or more of the bones in the ankle break, often due to high-impact activities, falls, or accidents.

Symptoms:

• Pain, swelling, and bruising around the ankle
• Inability to bear weight on the affected foot
• Instability or weakness in the ankle joint

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) are often used to treat mild sprains. Physical therapy can help restore strength and mobility.
• Surgical: For severe fractures, surgery may be required to repair the broken bones and realign the ankle joint.

For effective ankle injury treatment by specialised orthopaedic doctor in Singapore, contact Dr James Tan today.

Hip Pain

Causes:

Hip pain is often caused due to:

• Osteoarthritis: The gradual breakdown of cartilage in the hip joint, leading to stiffness and pain.
• Fractures: Particularly common in elderly individuals after falls or trauma.
• Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursae (fluid-filled sacs) that cushion the hip joint.

Symptoms:

• Pain in the groin, thigh, or buttocks
• Stiffness, especially after sitting for long periods
• A grinding sensation in the hip joint
• Difficulty walking or moving the leg

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Physical therapy, medications (e.g., NSAIDs), and lifestyle modifications like weight management can help alleviate symptoms.
• Surgical: For advanced osteoarthritis or severe hip damage, hip replacement surgery may be recommended.

Elbow Pain

Causes:

Elbow pain is most commonly caused by:

• Tennis Elbow: This condition is caused by overuse of the forearm muscles, leading to inflammation of the tendons in the elbow. It is common in people who engage in repetitive motions, such as tennis players or individuals who perform manual labour.
• Golfer's Elbow: Golfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, occurs when the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the inside of your elbow become inflamed due to overuse or strain. The condition is commonly associated with repetitive motions, particularly those that involve gripping, wrist flexion, and forearm rotation.

Symptoms:

• Pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow (Tennis Elbow)
• Pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow (Golfer's Elbow)
• Weakness in the forearm and difficulty gripping objects
• Pain that worsens with activity

Treatment Options:

• Non-surgical: Rest, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications can relieve symptoms. Braces or splints may also help support the elbow during recovery.
• Surgical: In severe or chronic cases, surgery may be required to repair damaged tendons.

When Should I Consult An Orthopaedic Doctor?

If you experience any of the following symptoms, consider talking to an orthopaedic specialist.

• Musculoskeletal symptoms that affect your activities, mobility, or day-to-day tasks.
• Stiffness or limited range of motion in your joints.
• Chronic pain
• Instability while standing or walking.
• Signs of infection like inflammation, redness, or warmth in addition to fever.
• Joint pain, especially after resting.
• Bruises, sprains, or other soft tissue injuries that do not improve after 48 hours of home remedies or self-care.

Whether it is an urgent matter requiring surgery or a simple ailment like lower back pain that can be solved with strategic exercises, your health is important and should be taken seriously.

What Do Orthopaedic Doctors Treat?

While orthopaedic doctors treat a broad assortment of ailments, the most common issues include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Bone fractures
• Muscle strains
• Joint pain
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Tendons injuries
• Ligaments injuries
• Tendonitis
• ACL tears
• Limb abnormalities
• Heel pain
• Bone cancer

What Is Considered An Orthopaedic Emergency?

An orthopaedic emergency includes acute injuries that come from sudden trauma or are the results of complications with an existing condition.

One of the most common emergencies that come on suddenly is a broken bone. In such a situation, it is advised to consult a doctor who might recommend an alignment, splint, cast, or possible surgery depending on symptoms and underlying cause. Other common emergencies include concussions, dislocations, and tendon ruptures.

Orthopaedic emergencies that may arise from an existing condition include infections, blood clots, re-injury of damaged tissue or bone, and swelling that affects blood flow.

An orthopaedic emergency may also arise among individuals playing a certain sport, especially if they have suffered from an injury in the past. Sports comprise rigorous activities, and getting back into the game after an injury can be a little challenging.

While playing the game, If you experience any kind of pain or stiffness, it is advised to promptly consult a sports injury specialist for timely intervention. This can put a stop to further progression of your condition and pain.

Is Orthopaedic Surgery Always Necessary?

The severity of a patient’s condition is a defining factor in whether surgery should be the effective route of treatment for them or not. Exploring non-surgical treatments is usually the primary route by most doctors as a treatment technique. For smaller disorders, orthopaedic doctors usually adopt minimum invasive treatments. However, in cases of severe injury, opting for surgery may be the last resort and the only treatment strategy.

Orthopaedic surgery is not the only medical care option provided by orthopaedic surgeons; several other therapies and alternative treatments are recommended by them. Let’s explore a few of them for better understanding.

Injury-Oriented Physical Therapy

Restoring muscle strength is the prime advantage of opting for physical therapy to heal injuries sooner. A personalised exercise program through the recommendation of a Singapore orthopaedic doctor may aid the patient. The aim is to redevelop flexibility and range of motion through this treatment plan post-injury.

For athletes as well as normal patients with extensive medical history, sometimes physiotherapy can be highly effective without undergoing surgery. We have managed to gather for you a range of area-specific physical therapy exercises. From relieving back pain to boosting shoulder mobility, these cover all the basics.

Lifestyle Change for Conditions

In addition to physical therapy, your doctor may recommend improving your diet, walking more, and making other healthy changes to prevent complications with your condition.

Immobilisation for Trauma 

For certain conditions, your doctor may recommend a cast, splint, or brace to prevent additional damage, allowing the area to heal.

Medication for Pain

Medicine is considered a non-surgical path for certain orthopaedic conditions. It is often an effective stand-alone treatment option. Patients going through mild muscle and joint pain can take advantage of this. For this purpose, OTC analgesic drugs are given. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are examples of these drugs.

Then comes the next category of medicines for intense pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Diclofenac are the doctor’s suggestion in such situations. Moreover, condition-specific pain requires other types of prescription drugs. Nerve damage, for example, is associated with pain conditions that are also specific sometimes. In neuropathic pain, Gabapentin is the usual drug of choice.

What to Expect During an Orthopaedic Surgery

After exhausting all non-surgical routes of treatment, if your musculoskeletal disorder displays the same pain and symptoms, then the orthopaedic specialist may choose the route of surgery. This field is expansive and numerous types of surgeries are available in Singapore. We have short-listed some of the most prevalent orthopaedic surgeries.

Joint Replacement Surgery

When a joint is damaged or injured, joint replacement surgery may be necessary. Joint replacement surgery is quite common, particularly surgeries like hip replacement and knee replacement.

Internal Fixation Surgery

With some types of injuries, your doctor may find that hardware like a screw, pin, or rod is necessary to help your bone stay in place while it is healing. In this case, you will be recommended for internal fixation surgery.

Fusion Surgery

The primary objective of Fusion surgery is stabilising the bones in their original form. This surgery is performed to join two or more bones together, usually the vertebrae of the spine. Patients often experience pain reduction after this procedure.

In the case of injuries where two bones need to be connected, your doctor will recommend fusion surgery. For this procedure, bone grafting, as well as other instruments like rods and screws, are used. The healing process for this procedure is long and may require immobilisation.

Release Surgery

Release surgery is usually performed for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The doctor may recommend this surgery if the median nerve in your wrist is under pressure. To alleviate this pressure, the carpal ligament is cut off to reduce the compression effect on the nerve. The surgery may help reduce further progression of the disorder and may help relieve the symptoms.

Soft Tissue Repair Surgery

Soft tissue surgeries are done to improve joint stability. During this procedure, your surgeon can strategically repair muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This surgery may help provide effective quick-repair treatment.

Osteotomy

A common surgery for arthritis is an osteotomy. During this procedure, the bone is cut and then repositioned to reduce pain after the healing process.