General injuries

Whether you have joint pain, a broken bone, or nerve pain, we can help you return to your daily activities. You’ll receive quick, effective urgent care at Montage Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Explore the common conditions and injuries we treat. 

Arthritis

There are more than 100 types of arthritic conditions. Anyone can get arthritis, though it’s more common among women and older people. You may have arthritis if you experience joint pain affecting your hips, neck, knees, or back.

Arthritic symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe. They include swelling and stiffness. Severe arthritis can lead to long-term damage and make it hard to perform daily activities — even walking.

Diagnosis and treatment

A medical exam and X-ray show the extent of your condition. Your orthopedic provider may recommend pain-relieving medicine, injections, or surgery.

Broken bones

Broken bones usually happen because of injuries or trauma like car accidents. Also called fractures, broken bones can be very painful, cause swelling, and limit movement.

If you break a bone, your treatment depends on:

• Your age and general health
• Which bone(s) you broke
• What type of break it is
• How severe the break is

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider will examine the break and look at your X-rays. A minor break may heal over time if you don’t put weight on the injured area.

More severe broken bones need a splint or a cast. If you have an open fracture where the bone has pierced the skin, you’ll need surgery.

Bursitis

Your body has fluid-filled bursa sacs that help ease friction between your tendons, bones, and muscles. When your body can’t absorb stress on your joints, you develop bursitis. Bursitis usually affects the shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees.

You can get bursitis from repeated, intense activity and sports. Tendons lose flexibility with age, making bursitis more likely if you're older than 40 years old. You can help prevent bursitis by avoiding strenuous activity and maintaining a healthy weight.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider can diagnose bursitis with imaging and lab tests. You might treat it with pain medications and physical therapy.

Joint pain and swelling

You may have joint pain from injuries or illnesses. Joint injuries happen when you break, fracture, or dislocate bones. Illnesses that cause joint pain include bone cancer, Lyme disease, and autoimmune conditions.

When your joints swell, there’s fluid around them. Swelling often happens with gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis.

Diagnosis and treatment

To treat minor joint pain and swelling, your provider may recommend:

• Ice
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Antibiotics
• Steroid medications

For severe pain and swelling, you may need surgery.

Sciatica

Your sciatic nerve runs from your lower back down to the back of both legs. When you have sciatica, you may feel lower back pain, hip pain, or burning or tingling feelings. Spinal issues, pregnancy, and muscle spasms can cause sciatica. Other factors include diabetes, obesity, smoking, and aging. Your sciatica pain can range from mild to severe.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider might use an imaging test or electromyography (EMG) to diagnose your condition. EMG measures nerve and muscle activity.

To treat sciatica, your provider may prescribe:

• Hot or cold packs
• Stretching
• Pain medications
• Physical therapy

Sports injuries, sprains, and fractures

When you play sports, you risk injury. Some common sports injuries are ankle sprains, shin splints, tennis elbow, groin pull, and hamstring strain. Warming up before play or exercise helps increase your flexibility and blood flow. It won't completely prevent sports injuries, but can reduce your risk.

Treatment

If you get a sports injury, try the PRICE treatment method:

• Protect the area
• Restrict activity
• Ice the injury
• Compress with a bandage
• Elevate the affected area

For serious injuries, you need to see a provider.

Tendinitis

When your tendon (the cord that attaches bone to muscle) becomes inflamed, you have tendinitis. The most common areas affected are your shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels. If you have tendinitis, you might feel:

• Dull, aching pain when you move the injured joint
• Mild swelling
• Extreme tenderness

You can develop tendinitis for many reasons, including age, jobs requiring physical effort, and sports activities.

Diagnosis and treatment

After a physical exam, your provider will likely recommend RICE:

• Restrict activity
• Ice the area
• Compress with a bandage
• Elevate the affected limb

If your tendinitis is more severe, you might need physical therapy or surgery.

Traumatic injury

Unlike other orthopedic conditions that develop over time, a traumatic injury happens suddenly and is very serious. These injuries often result from car accidents, falls, sports accidents, and natural disasters.

Treatment

A traumatic injury can affect your external body parts, internal organs, and brain. If you have a traumatic injury, you need immediate medical attention.

Wounds

When you get a deep cut in your skin, you have a wound. If a sharp object like a knife or broken glass cuts you, bacteria or debris might get into your wound.

Treatment

You need to:

• Clean your wound by washing it with soap and water
• Dry it
• Put on a bandage

Don’t put alcohol, iodine, or hydrogen peroxide on your wound because it can slow down healing.

If you have a severe wound, see a provider because you may need stitches to close it.