Expert Orthopedic Consultations

Consultations with an Orthopedic Specialist On Your First Visit

Acute Injuries

Acute injuries are those that have occurred recently, usually defined as having occurred in the previous 48-72 hours. Acute injuries are also usually the result of a specific impact or traumatic event that occurs in one specific area of the body. Examples of acute injuries include tendon strains, ligament sprains, muscle strains, muscle contusions and bone breaks or fractures. Most acute injuries heal better when treated within the first few days of being injured.

Yet deciding if an injury requires medical attention may not be easy. Some signs that should prompt a visit to OrthoNOW include: moderate or severe amount of swelling, rapid swelling, inability to move the joint in a full range of motion, inability to walk, extreme pain or pain even when you are resting the injured area, and if the limb appears deformed.

Even without any of these signs, if an injury does not significantly improve after resting it for a couple of days, or if you feel at all uncertain, consider getting it checked out. Early assessment and treatment of acute injuries is essential to a full recovery and safe return to everyday activities.

Fracture/Broken Bone

A fracture is any break in the surface of the bone. Sprains can sometimes include a fracture. While some fractures are treated with casts, others only require a brace, sling or other support. Broken bones can often be treated conservatively, with just a cast or splint, but many situations require further treatment. It is important to treat a broken bone right away to ensure the bone heals in the proper position, and to make sure the vessels and nerves close by are unharmed.

A recent study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine indicated that suspected splint fractures were incorrectly applied in ER’s and general urgent care centers over 93% of the time.

The wrong care compromises your health, is inconvenient and wastes time and money. If you suspect a bone may be fractured, your first stop should be to an orthopedic specialist. OrthoNOW offers on-site X-Ray, Fluoroscopy (live X-Ray) on a walk-in basis. You will be treated by an onsite orthopedic clinician in less than one hour, saving time and money.

Chronic Pain

Just about everyone feels pain from time to time. When you strain your back, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is not quite right. Then once it heals, the pain stops. Chronic pain is different. Your body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more and can negatively affect your day-to-day life and mental health.

Chronic pain may arise from an initial injury or an ongoing cause such as illness. There may also be no clear cause – yet the pain just won’t go away. Other health problems such as fatigue, inability to sleep through the night, loss of appetite, and mood swings often accompany chronic pain. Chronic pain may also limit movement which can reduce flexibility, strength, and stamina.

If you develop chronic pain, it’s crucial that you seek specialty medical help and get a proper diagnosis. At OrthoNOW, our on-site clinicians will work with you to identify the causes and symptoms of your pain and provide effective treatments and management strategies to help maintain your quality of life.

Preventive Health

Our providers are uniquely qualified to understand the needs of maintaining peak musculoskeletal health for all ages. From little-league to college-level play to weekend warrior to the active retiree, OrthoNOW offers a holistic approach to your Orthopedic Care for your whole family.

At OrthoNOW, we believe in going above and beyond treating you for injuries or chronic pain. Our clinicians will work with you to provide customized programs to improve strength, stamina and agility. We want to help you avoid accidents by offering customized strategies and training to decrease the likelihood of accidents and injuries – before they happen.

Sports Injuries and School Physicals

Youth Sports Injuries

There’s no denying the fact that sports related injuries are on the rise among our youth in America. Why? Because children are more active than ever before – participating in higher level sports and starting at younger ages. Their growth plates are also still developing making them particularly susceptible to overuse injuries and fractures. And because their bones heal so quickly, it’s critical they get proper diagnosis and treatment fast, to ensure they heal correctly and avoid potential for long term issues.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that 3.5 million children under 15 are treated for sports injuries each year. Recreational and sports related injuries account for approximately 3.2 million visits to emergency rooms a year for children ages 5-14. But what happens at the ER? Parents wait several hours only to be referred to see an orthopedic specialist and pay again.

Not anymore. OrthoNOW’s neighborhood centers provide comprehensive orthopedic care on a walk-in basis for youth sports injuries, sports-focused rehabilitation services and concussion care.

Adult Sports Injuries

When it comes to injuries, kids are not the only ones “at risk”. Adults sometimes overestimate their abilities to “play like they used to” in their youth and push themselves to the point of injury. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, walking enthusiast, amateur or elite athlete, or if you have a child playing youth sports, you’re probably familiar with sports injuries. Now you can save time, money and the aggravation of multiple referrals by making OrthoNOW your first visit and leave fully treated in less than one hour.

Sports Physicals

As parents, we strive to provide quality education for the future of our children. What about quality health? Yearly physicals are extremely important for kids – yet often overlooked. Why should annual sports physicals be a priority in your child’s life?

• Identify risk factors of specific sports related activities
• Detect conditions in early stages that may need monitoring
• Get training tips to help avoid injuries
• Maintain peak performance – on and off the field

Get your athlete ready for their best season ever at any one of our convenient locations.

Pediatric Orthopedics

Access to expert pediatric orthopedic care is critical, but often comes too late. Just because accidents aren’t convenient, doesn’t mean your child’s care can’t be. Whether your child broke an arm or sprained an ankle, your neighborhood OrthoNOW Center is dedicated to serve your family’s care needs on an immediate, walk-in basis – and when you need it. You don’t even need a referral. Simply come in at your convenience and we can diagnose your child’s condition, explain it fully to you, and help you decide on the best treatment plan so that your child can heal with minimal impact on his or her future.

• On-demand care – no appointment necessary
• X-Rays available on-site
• Your child is seen by on orthopedic clinician on your first visit
• Significantly lower costs (over ER visit)
• Leave fully treated in less than one hour
• Save time, money and avoid multiple appointments to get the care your child needs!

As a parent, you understand your child’s risk of being injured doesn’t take a break. When accidents happen, and you need pediatric orthopedics services immediately, call or stop by OrthoNOW. Let us help you get your child back in the game – on or off the field!

Arthritis

Arthritis literally means “inflammation of a joint. A joint is where the ends of two or more bones meet. A smooth tissue of cartilage covers the ends of bones in a joint. Cartilage cushions the bone and allows the joint to move easily without the friction that would come with bone-on-bone contact.

There are two major categories of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on the articular cartilage through the natural aging process, constant use, or trauma. The cartilage covering the bone ends wears away and bone rubs against bone causing pain and swelling.

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects many parts of the body, but mainly the joints. The joint lining swells, invading surrounding tissues. Swelling, pain, and stiffness usually develop, even when the joint is not used often or at all.

If you or your loved ones are suffering with any of the following symptoms, it’s important to seek orthopedic care for diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms include:

• Weakness in the muscles
• Tenderness to touch
• Limited ability to move the joint
• A grating feeling or sound (crepitus) with movement
• Pain when pressure is placed on the joint or the joint is moved

As you manage your osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or any of the numerous arthritis-related conditions, it’s critical to get the support you need. Our on-site orthopedic clinicians not only meet OrthoNOW’s high standards of medical knowledge and skill, they also focus on creating a successful provider/patient relationship to ensure optimal care. Together, we’ll monitor the progress of your disease and day-to-day function and customize a treatment plan specifically for you.

Auto Accidents

If you have been in a car accident, you are likely experiencing pain in multiple body parts, unsure of which pains will just go away on their own. Recovery can be tough. Finding the right health care provider to properly diagnose and treat your injuries can be even tougher. Your body also naturally produces endorphins to help deal with the stress at the time of an accident which can mask pain – and why many people walk away from an accident feeling fine – only to have pain unexpectedly flair up days or sometimes weeks later.

Yet diagnosing the problem, including the type, location, and severity of an injury, is essential to proper treatment and requires a specialist. General Practitioners often miss details risking improper diagnoses and you in turn potentially being stuck with an injury that isn’t covered by insurance.

But how do you know? At OrthoNOW, we use advanced technology required to identify delayed pain by assessing you for soft tissue damage that could affect your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Damage to soft tissue is harder to track and quantify than broken bones, yet the effects can be just as debilitating. If you or your loved one has been in an auto accident, choose OrthoNOW and keep a bad situation from getting worse.

Pre-employment Physicals

There are more health and safety requirements required for employers to follow than ever before. For many employers, pre-employment physicals have become a routine requirement to determine if applicants are suitable for the job and reduce the possibility of future on-the-job injuries.

OrthoNOW works directly with employers and employees to determine company requirements and provide fast, reliable results so employees can start work as soon as possible while ensuring their safety. We also take special care to provide support and advice to patients who discover a previously unknown condition during a physical and recommend treatment options.

Let our trained staff at OrthoNOW help you land your next career move. We are fully equipped to provide standard pre-employment exam and physicals including blood work – on site and on demand.