Orthopedics Injuries and Causes

Learn about common orthopedics injuries, causes, and risk factors evaluated through advanced diagnostics at Liv Hospital.

Orthopedics Injuries and Causes

Learn about common orthopedics injuries, causes, and risk factors evaluated through advanced diagnostics at Liv Hospital.

Recognize early joint pain, stiffness, and limited motion. Medical advice enables effective, non-surgical treatment to prevent chronic conditions.

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors

Common Warning Signs of Joint Issues

Recognizing early signs of a bone or joint problem is the key to getting effective and often non-surgical treatment. Most Orthopedic Problems start subtly with mild discomfort or limited motion. Paying attention to these changes and seeking medical advice quickly can stop a minor issue from becoming a chronic, debilitating condition. Early diagnosis allows our specialists to recommend simple, targeted solutions like physical therapy or specific bracing before more advanced intervention is needed.

Icon LIV Hospital

Early Warning Signs

ORTHOPEDIC

Look out for these common signs that may suggest the need for Orthopedic evaluation:

  • Persistent Joint Pain: A dull, aching, or sharp pain in a joint (like the knee, shoulder, or hip) that does not disappear after a few days of rest.
  • Morning Stiffness: A feeling of stiffness and reduced flexibility in a joint that is most noticeable immediately upon waking up.
  • Limited Motion Range: The inability to fully move, straighten, or bend a joint as easily as the opposite side or as you could previously.
  • Joint Swelling or Warmth: Visible puffiness, inflammation, or heat around a joint, indicating potential irritation or injury within the area.
  • Grinding or Popping: A grating sensation or audible clicking sound (crepitus) within the joint when you move it, often linked to cartilage damage.
  • Nerve Symptoms: Feelings of numbness, tingling, or weakness in a limb, which may signal that nerves are being compressed by bone or soft tissue.
Icon 1 LIV Hospital

Emergency Symptoms: Call For Help

ORTHOPEDIC

Certain symptoms require immediate medical attention to prevent severe, long-term complications, such as permanent nerve damage or serious infection. If these occur, especially after a trauma like a car accident or severe fall, please seek emergency medical care immediately.

  • Sudden Loss of Function: The complete inability to move a joint or to put any weight on a leg or foot.
  • Severe Limb Deformity: A bone or joint that is visibly bent or positioned at an unnatural angle, indicating a fracture or dislocation.
  • Numbness Below Injury: New or worsening lack of feeling in a hand or foot, which may point to a critical injury to the major nerves or blood vessels.
  • Open Wound with Bone: A traumatic injury where the broken bone has pierced through the skin (known as an open fracture).

Risk Factors You Can Control

These are risk factors related to your personal habits and lifestyle that you have the power to change or manage. By focusing on these modifiable areas, you can greatly reduce your likelihood of developing Orthopedic issues like arthritis and tendon injuries.

  • Excess Body Weight: Carrying too much weight places massive stress on your ankles, knees, hips, and spine, causing accelerated wear and tear on the cartilage. Weight loss is one of the most effective non-surgical treatments for joint pain.
  • Poor Lifting Techniques: Using your back instead of your legs to lift heavy objects severely increases the risk of disc herniation and acute back injury. Always lift with your knees bent and keep the load close to your body.
  • Smoking and Nicotine Use: Tobacco use is known to slow down the healing process of bone after a fracture or surgery, and it can also negatively impact bone density over time.
  • Repetitive Motions and Overuse: Jobs or hobbies that involve the same motion repeatedly without rest (like typing or certain sports) can lead to overuse injuries such as tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Inadequate Footwear: Wearing unsupportive shoes, especially those with high heels, can alter your body’s alignment and put abnormal stress on your foot, ankle, and knee joints.
ORTHOPEDIC

Risk Factors You Cannot Control

These factors are based on your biological make-up, age, or medical history. While you cannot change them, knowing you are high-risk means you should be extra vigilant about prevention and regular screenings.

  • Age: As people age, natural wear and tear causes cartilage to thin, and bone density decreases, increasing the risk of both arthritis and osteoporotic fractures.
  • Family History and Genetics: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, certain types of osteoarthritis, and scoliosis can have a strong inherited genetic component that runs in families.
  • Gender Differences: Women, especially post-menopause, are at a significantly higher risk of developing osteoporosis due to the loss of estrogen. They also experience a higher incidence of knee injuries like ACL tears due to anatomical factors.
  • Previous Injuries or Surgeries: A joint that has been previously fractured, dislocated, or undergone surgery, no matter how well it healed, is always at a greater long-term risk of developing degenerative arthritis.

30
Years of
Excellence

Trusted Worldwide

With patients from across the globe, we bring over three decades of medical expertise and hospitality to every individual who walks through our doors.  

Book a Free Certified Online Doctor Consultation

Doctors

Table of Contents

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors
img 1 LIV Hospital

Understanding Your Total Risk

Your total Orthopedic risk is determined by how many of these factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, apply to you. For instance, an older individual with a family history of hip arthritis who is also overweight has a compound risk that requires proactive management. 

Our specialists perform a detailed risk assessment to identify your weak points. This allows us to build a personalized prevention plan that targets your specific modifiable risks while proactively monitoring the risks you cannot change, ensuring you stay mobile and healthy for years to come.

30
Years of
Excellence

Trusted Worldwide

With patients from across the globe, we bring over three decades of medical expertise and hospitality to every individual who walks through our doors.  

Book a Free Certified Online Doctor Consultation

Doctors

Table of Contents

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the warning signs of Orthopedic Diseases?

The main warning signs include pain lasting more than a week, joint stiffness, joint swelling, and a loss of the ability to move the joint completely.

Individuals at high risk include older adults, people who are overweight, those with a family history of arthritis, and athletes who engage in high-impact or repetitive sports.

Yes, women have a higher risk of conditions like osteoporosis and certain knee ligament injuries (ACL tears), while men may have a higher risk of certain traumatic injuries.

Lifestyle factors that increase risk include smoking, being overweight, eating a diet low in calcium and Vitamin D, and having a sedentary lifestyle.

Many Orthopedic conditions, such as certain types of spinal curvature (scoliosis) and inflammatory arthritis, can have a strong genetic or hereditary link.

Spine Hospital of Louisiana