Milwaukee Joint Injury Doctor
According to the Center for Disease Control, over 250,000 people are treated for joint injuries each year. The cases are often of dislocated or fractured thighs or hips, with 25 percent of the patients being between the ages of 18 and 44.
Of all the contributors to joint injuries, auto accidents are the most prevalent. Our Wisconsin Joint Injury Doctors have extensive experience treating joint injuries caused by accidents. Call our office if you, a loved one, or a client of yours suffers a joint injury.
Schedule AppointmentHow Do Joint Injuries Happen?
A joint dislocates when an abnormal separation happens where two or more bones are connected at a joint. It usually results from a sudden trauma like that caused by the impact of a crash. The pain linked to joint injuries is intense and can be debilitating.
Some joints are more vulnerable to injury than others. An auto accident commonly leads to dislocation of the spinal cord, hips, ankle, leg, wrist, shoulders, jaw, fingers, or knees. Other joint injuries, such as those that occur at the spinal cord or base of the skull, can be fatal. You should seek medical assistance immediately after an auto accident.
Common Symptoms of Joint Injury
Because joint injuries and dislocations are often accompanied by agonizing pain, it is relatively easy to identify them. Nonetheless, the adrenaline rush immediately after a crash may mask your symptoms for a few days or weeks.
Additionally, depending on the nature of the dislocation, some joint injuries may not be apparent without a doctor’s diagnosis.
The following symptoms could signify joint injury:
- Acute pain
- Reduced range of motion or flexibility
- Reduced muscular ability
- Redness or bruising at the site of dislocation
- Loss of stability in the joint
- Deformity at the site of dislocation
In severe cases, joint injuries damage your muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tendons. This may result in more serious symptoms and pain.
Personal Injury Physician for Patients with Joint Injuries
Our doctors can apply different treatment methods to treat your joint injury, depending on the nature of the dislocation and severity of your symptoms. The typical treatment procedure is:
1. Reduction:
This is where we re-align the injured joint and bones then fix the body part into its normal position. If the dislocation site is swollen or you are experiencing a lot of pain, our doctors will use an anesthetic to ease your discomfort.
2. Joint Immobilization:
Immobilization usually follows reduction to promote proper healing and prevent further injury. We may use a splint or bandage to hold the injured body part in place for a certain length of time. How long your joint remains immobile is dependent on how severely you are injured and how fast your body recovers.
3. Medications:
After reduction, some patients could still experience some pain and discomfort. We usually prescribe pain relief medications and muscle relaxants to address this issue.
4. Surgery Treatment:
Sometimes, a reduction is not effective in treating a joint injury. This is typically the case where there has been damage to the blood vessels or nerves surrounding the affected joint. In this case, you may require surgery, especially if the symptoms are severe and life-threatening.
5. Physical Therapy or Rehabilitation:
Your joint, muscles, ligaments, and tendons will require strengthening to regain their proper function. The last step in your recovery is physical therapy aimed at restoring strength and normal range of motion, as well as preventing further injury.
Wrapping Up
Joint injury treatment can be very costly. Not only could your medical bills pile up, but you could also lose your wages or source of income as you recover from your injury. Luckily, victims injured in auto accidents are liable for compensation for their losses.
Our Milwaukee Joint Injury Doctors are adept at proper documentation and record-keeping. We also work directly with personal injury lawyers to help you pursue a legal claim. Should you incur a joint injury in an auto accident, call our Milwaukee joint injury physicians.