5 Lifestyle Tips for Managing Arthritis Pain
Arthritis is no walk in the park — literally. In fact, it can prevent one. Don’t let your arthritis get to that point. Check out five lifestyle habits to make arthritis manageable.
Minimally Invasive Surgery - Footcare Friday
WHAT IS MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY?
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) treats foot and ankle conditions and deformities using very small incisions. In these procedures, your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon uses special instruments to cut bones under X-ray guidance and inserts screws through very small incisions. Advantages of minimally invasive surgery over traditional surgery include faster healing, smaller scars, and less stiffness. The main disadvantage is that it takes additional training and practice for your surgeon to feel comfortable performing these procedures without the traditional open visualization.
Diagnosis
A variety of foot and ankle problems, including big toe arthritis, bunions, and hammertoes, can be treated with minimally invasive surgery. Importantly, not all patients are good candidates for minimally invasive surgery, and not all surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery. If you are interested in the procedure, talk to Dr. Reichard as he has experience in minimally invasive surgery to see if you are a good candidate for it.
Recovery
Recovery is often faster from minimally invasive procedures compared to open procedures. Some weightbearing can be allowed immediately after surgery, but this depends on the procedure you are having done.
Risks and Complications
The risks of minimally invasive surgery are similar to traditional, open surgeries, although the risks of infection and wound healing problems may be lower with minimally invasive surgery because the incisions are so small.
While the small incisions used in minimally invasive surgery can make it easier to damage unseen structures like nerves and tendons, research studies have not shown a higher rate of these injuries. With good technique and surgeon experience, these surgeries may even have lower risk compared to open surgeries. More research still needs to be done on these procedures to determine their risks and benefits relative to more traditional surgical methods.
Please see the following links for more information:
You Might Also Enjoy...
Everyday Activities That Could Lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Are some of your fingers tingling or feeling numb? That’s not normal. Could overuse be causing these odd symptoms? Read on to learn about carpal tunnel syndrome.
Getting Active Again After an ACL Tear
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can definitely take a toll on your mobility. If you lead an active lifestyle, it’s normal to want to get back on your feet as soon as possible. Here’s what you can expect during recovery.
Achilles Tendon Tear - Footcare Friday
Achilles tendon tears are significant injuries that can have long lasting negative effects. Dr. Reichard is trained in the newest minimally invasive surgical techniques as well as more traditional nonsurgical and surgical techniques.
Ankle Sprains - Footcare Friday
Ankle sprains are common injuries. Most of the time they heal up without incident, however they can sometimes leave you with pain and disability. Therefore, it's best to get an ankle sprain checked out by a specialist like Dr. Reichard.
Total Ankle Replacement - Footcare Friday
In the past, patients with ankle arthritis who wanted an ankle replacement were sent to Salt Lake City or other major centers. Because Dr. Reichard is here in the Gallatin Valley, patients in Bozeman no longer need to travel for this procedure.