Orthopaedics

Have you been diagnosed for an orthopaedic issue? How was it diagnosed and treated? Does it affect your daily life?

Several. MRIs . Cervical hernias, hips and rotator cuff, ruptured bicep. Never treated. Just suck it up or live with it or fix it. So far, just sucking it up! Except for an ankle replacement due to an athletic injury.

Orthopedy is considered an archaic term per Wiki. Orthopaedic is used more commonly by the British , orthopedic is more commonly used in the US. Technically, all three terms are correct.

More than once, ramping down physical therapy for a hip injury at the moment.

Yes. A few years back my left knee became so painful i was noticeably limping. i figured it was an old martial arts injury, a jumping axe kick landed wrong. i never had that looked at, may have torn connective tissue, but can only diagnose that with an MRI and i have never had one of those. After that injury, i switched to Bikram Yoga (aka "hot yoga") and the knee never bothered me.

When i went back to school and switched careers from executive director to bedside critical care nurse, i could no longer find Bikram classes that fit my work schedule, and that's when issues with my knee developed. It got bad enough my fellow nurses were commenting, so i made an appointment with an orthopedist. They did X-rays of my knees and when i visited him he diagnosed me with "severe arthritis" in both of my knees. Both of my knees were not bothering me, so despite the "severe arthritis," i figured that was not what was making me lame.

The ortho wasn't all that engaged in helping me, pain pills are not an option for me. I tried a D.O. Who did black magic osteopathic manipulations that remind me of what chiropractors do, except on my knee. Actually, i think He was on the right track and He was hot as fuck, so i kept going back for 'treatments' just to have His hands on me. :-)

i did surmise that what was helping was the stretching involved in His treatments, so i asked for a referral to a physical therapist. The PT considered the area of pain and came up with stretches to essentially manipulate that area. That fixed me. i understand now that going from 25 years of martial arts to 10 of yoga to essentially nothing, my range of motion became very constricted. Stretching restored that range and removes the pain from contracture.

Jan 7 2020 I twisted on the ice and screwed up my back and hurt my ankle but ankle got better back did not. So i did what I always do I went to my chiropractor and got adjusted after 2 months of seeing him he said I am sorry you need to have x-rays something else is going on.

So I had xrays in March of 2020 and then started Physical Therapy. Did that until August and was told I needed to try a Pain specialist. It was acting as SI pain in lower back so they did pinpoint injections L4 L5 S1 both sides so 6 injections it did not help. I did injections 3 times. Then they started me on pills for neuropathy because they could not figure out why i was still hurting

I went back in November 2020 and was told they were going to raise dosage of pills. I told them the pills are not helping why would i want more. So I called my GP and said I need a different route. So she sent me to a Physiatrist he was wonderful he listened. He first gave me a injection for bursitis in right hip which did help for a while.

Then in January of 2021 I started falling so back to Dr Franco my Physiatrist he had me pivot for him I almost fell he said he was sure he knew the issue. So he did another injection in hip after the injection I could walk with no pain at all which was amazing. He then ordered a MRI we had to wait because of insurance of course. MRI showed he was right I had torn the labrum in my right hip. So he sent me to an orthopedic. They called me a few days before appointment and said they would refer me to a different orthopaedic because he did not fix labral tears. So end of January I met Dr Liddell who set me up for Labral repair surgery February 22, 2021. It went well no weight bearing for 4 weeks and therapy. It was a long 4 weeks but I made it.

Then in June 2021 pain was horrid yet again and I was losing strength in my hip so another MRI UGH the Labrum was torn again or never healed, so back to orthopaedic to discuss options. Orthopaedics PA told me he felt I should have a new hip put in. I agreed then the surgeon came in and said no at your age we have to try everything before hip replacement so August 4 2021 I had another labrum repair surgery. Then again in December I started having severe pain again in right leg so they sent me back to Physiatrist he said go back to orthopaedic its your hip. Orthopaedic thought there was something else involved so he sent me to a neurologist. I had tests but the neurologist watched me walk and said I know what it is get to a podiatrist its your foot or ankle.

So on to Dr Dix, what an amazing doctor, he told me the first time I met him after X-rays and exam he knew what it was and he could fix it but he wanted me to try a brace and therapy first. So April 4 I had ligament reconstruction surgery non weight bearing for 4 weeks in boot a total of 12 weeks UGH then in brace 1 month. After a month beginning of May my hip started hurting again rather badly so back to orthopaedic. May 17 another Hip MRI which revealed that stinking Labrum had torn yet again. So i went in to talk to PA and surgeon on what next steps should be. They both said hip replacement is your next step I said as soon as I am given the all clear from foot doctor I will let you know so I can schedule because the pain is awful.

Then June 1st moms knee had gotten so bad she saw my surgeons PA and he set her for surgery Then June 23 i woke up and just weight bearing hurts so PA told me to start using cane which was good because i fell bruised tailbone but did not break anything. June 29th I fell again this time against the wall ribs hurt bad. I saw Dr Dix he said foot was great no more brace needed he would clear me for Surgery. My mom was seeing orthopedic surgeon so I went and waited for her she came out of X-ray so I followed her into exam room so I could talk to surgeon as well. He came in examined her was pleased she was bending knee to 93 degrees and then looked at me. He said I know this is Moms appointment but I see the pain in your eyes how can I help. I started to cry I said I have been released from foot doctor but I fell last night and either broke ribs or bruised them. He went and got a stethoscope and listened to me breath then had me cough it did not hurt to cough so he said they are bruised. Now how can I help you. I said I need to do something before I fall and crack my head open. He said ok I will have my scheduler call you friday and set something up for hip replacement I am guessing 10-15 days. She called Friday and said the best she could do was August 10th I said you got to be kidding me. Why did Dr Liddell say ASAP when the best he can do is August 10th she said well I will call you after holiday because I have to have his approval to make schedule changes. When she called she said how about july 13th I said yes please.

So I had my hip replaced on July 13th 2022. The weekend after staples were removed I had severe pain every time I stepped down so back to orthopaedic they sent me for a CT Scan first in August. Week later still had pain so they sent me for blood work to check for infection. We did that three times the one time they even sent it away to make sure it was not a a infection in hip. Saw orthopaedic himself in October and he said I am sorry but i feel you should go back to physiatrist I feel the pain is coming from your back not your hip. Very frustrated but I listened and went back to physiatrist specialist for pain without surgery. So physiatrist sends me to pain specialist for back injections which i dont understand why. Yes I have spinal stenosis and scoliosis that causes back issues but I know it is my hip.

December 2022 still having pain every time i step down so now they are discussing bursitis injection which I dont understand because I dont think this will help but I am not a doctor. January 2023 had trochanter bursitis injection it really hurt I hope it helps. End of January was stretching in bed and felt a snap on side of leg so called orthopaedic and physiatrist. Orthopaedic would not return any of my communication. Physiatrist ordered MRI he feels I have strained something due to injection. He was right I did have a muscle strain/tear but orthopedic yet will not communicate with me. So i called and set up a appointment to see him I need to know next steps. I saw orthopedic February 14th was so hoping for answers. I was told if I was still having outer leg pain I was not welcome back there even though I was now having pain in left hip. I went to chiropractor and asked him what he felt i should do he said I will call a new orthopaedic and get you in for a second opinion you deserve that. So March 24 I saw new hip orthopaedic, I walked 4 steps and he said I know what it is. He told me he would send me to a pain specialist my femoral nerve was being pinched and that can happen with the amount of hip surgeries I had. So in April I had injection and walked out of the building with no pain stepping down. Was starting to have some pain in leg yet and troubles getting up out of lower chairs the end of April i had got in a chair i couldn't get out of and used a table to press on to get up and doing so my right shoulder popped on me. I knew I was scheduled to see pain specialist to check IT band so I called my chiropractor and asked who I should see for my shoulder I saw both the same day May 11. I was told I had a impingement in shoulder if I gave it a week and was still struggling they would try a injection. May 18th had shoulder injection. June 1st pain in shoulder is getting worse so i call and ask next steps they set up MRI and then asked me to come in and discuss all options with Dr.

I saw Dr june 13 he said your pain has worsened considerably and now you have hypersensitivity besides the impingement MRI shows I think we are dealing with a hidden tear. So I scheduled surgery for June 28th. They called me june 21 and asked if I had been off medicine they told me to be in case of cancellation I said I had. I had shoulder surgery June 23 they fixed a labral tear and rotator cuff impingement. I sure hope this is the end of my orthopedic journey but I do know now to not to go back to first orthopaedics at all they only wanted their money you were just a number to them.

@dakotasuz WOW! I’m just struggling with a broken 5th toe. I broke it during a fall last October. The break is across the upper toe joint. It didn’t start healing until late April. It still hurts though.

I am using an implanted pain stimulator for nerve pain on the sides of my head. It reduces pain by 60-80 percent!

Since the toe is still hurting me my next step is to see an orthopedic surgeon.

I hope you feel better soon.

@Srgfgahs it has been a long haul but I have had such support from my friends here it made it easier to get through. But just know that if you have a gut feeling about the way you are being treated by an orthopaedic we are all worth a second opinion.

@dakotasuz What a tale. Thank you for sharing....

Bask in February, I had my left shoulder joint replaced. For those unfamiliar, they take the humerous, cut off the ball, replace it with a chromium ball and titanium shaft, which goes down a drilled hole in the bone. The glenoid, the small cup-like structure is cleaned up and replaced/covered with a synthetic cup. It all is kept in place with cement. After 3 months at home, I started physical therapy and by June, I was back at work. I am so much better off now that I have my new shoulder.

@dakotasuz OMG Hon, you've been through so much!!! Hope you're feeling better soon. Sincerely, Mike 🌹

I have big problems with my knees -- the groove on both patellas is really shallow so my kneecaps dislocate really easy, which makes them unstable in general, and because of that condition, my knees wore out extra fast and my left knee is already bone on bone on the inside and needs a replacement -- its been this bad for a few years now, but they won't authorize a replacement until I'm over 50 (currently 43 now). i have a huge metal brace I wear on my left knee and I walk with a cane, so yeah needless to say it has affected my life dramatically. I wasnt a world champion athlete by any means but I used to lead a fairly busy life and now I'm basically a homebody who never goes out.

I have had both of my hips replaced. I’m not as agile as I used to be but the terrible burning, grinding pain in my hips is completely gone. Sometimes medical science doesn’t get enough credit for the miracles they perform

Unfortunately august 30th I had issues with left ankle/foot and seeing PT for it and now they figured out its my left hip. I went and had xrays of hip but they told me i have to try bursitis injection first and then wait 4-6 weeks due to insurance. The tears just flow I dont want to go through all this BS again just seems stupid when they told me they know whats wrong.

Last week I went to see an orthopedist. This orthopedist is a professor and I waited months for an appointment. Why did I go to see him? It's pretty simple. I played a lot of sports during my childhood and adolescence. I did figure skating and skiing. Naturally I fell a lot and have been suffering from lower back and pelvic pain ever since. On the appointed day, I got my period.

“It's not a big deal,” - I thought – “It's not like I'm gonna have to strip down to my waist.”

How wrong I was. When a woman goes to any doctor, she should be prepared to be undressed and examined in detail. That's women's lot in life. The professor was old, fat and bald. He sat at a large table with a disgruntled face. I walked into the office, said hello, and sat down in a chair across from him. He spent a long time reading my medical history on the computer. He then analyzed my x-rays and read the CT scan reports. Then he asked a few questions and, typing something into computer, said briefly:

“Take your clothes off”

I quickly undressed and was left in just my panties and bra.

“Come here to me” - said the professor.

I approached. He turned me around and began to palpate my back with his cold fingers. Then his fingers traveled down, and he began to palpate my pelvis.

“Take those panties off.” - I suddenly heard from behind – “They're interfering with my examination.”

I took off my panties and put them on the chair. The professor kneaded my bare ass for a while and then suddenly turned me around, so I was facing him. I stood in front of him with my naked pussy and burned from embarrassment. First of all, it's been a long time since I shaved it. And secondly, a tampax string was sticking out of my pussy and the professor saw the whole thing. He squeezed my thighs some more while looking at my vagina.

“You don't suffer from any female diseases?” - he suddenly asked.

I shook my head and, happy that it was over, began to dress quickly, turning my back to the professor.