Do you have achilles tendonitis?

If you feel pain at back of your heel that becomes worse with activities or see swelling or thickening of the tendon, you may have achilles tendonitis. This is caused by repeated stress to the tendon from activities like running or jumping. Most of the time, people who are not too active feel pain in this region right after a new exercise regimen. Aside from sudden increase of exercise, other causes are tight calf muscles that are improperly stretched or a bone spur.

This can be treated non-surgically through rest, icing for 20 minutes at a time throughout the day, taking anti-inflammatory medicine, doing exercises that will strengthen the calf muscles, physical therapy, cortisone injections, or by making use of shoe inserts, orthotics, or buying new training shoes. However, if none of these work, an orthopedic surgeon will have to do Achilles Tendon repair.

The surgery is only done if the pain and/or inflammation do not subside within six months of non-surgical treatment. During the procedure, the orthopedic surgeon makes an incision at the back of the leg to expose the damaged tendon. Damaged tissues will be removed and the healthy tissues will be stitched together with dissolving sutures. If there is not enough healthy tendon to maintain a secure reattachment, a tendon from the big toe will have to be transferred to replace the damaged tissue.

The length of recovery will usually depend on how much damage there is in the tendon. To aid healing, patients will have to have physical therapy for about a year to achieve pain-free results.

Do you think you are suffering from achilles tendonitis? Schedule a consultation with an orthopedic doctor now to see what should be done.

What is trigger finger release?

Pain, accompanied by clicking sounds when flexing or straightening the fingers and tenderness at the base of the digits, is not normal. If you are experiencing these, you are already showing symptoms of trigger finger. This is usually caused by constant or harsh movement that causes swelling or irritation due to rheumatoid arthritis, tendon lacerations, repeated trauma, or long hours of gripping something like a steering wheel.

In some cases, orthopedic doctors just place a splint to protect the affected area then recommends a set of special exercises. Sometimes, they even inject cortisone. In most cases, though, surgery is necessary. The procedure is a minor one and patients can go home right after. A small incision is made on the affected area then the ligament section is carefully cut to stop the interruption on tendon movement. After this, the incision is stitched up and the ligament is left on its own to heal. Patients will have to wear a bandage a day or two after the surgery. A band aid can replace this after a couple of days to protect the wound. While healing, patients may have to go through physical therapy to restore strength in the hand.

If your fingers are bothering you, schedule a consultation with an orthopedic doctor to know if you have trigger finger. Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has many experts on such cases and offers surgical services if needed.