Going To An Orthopedic Doctor: What You Should Know - Tips from Rolling Hills Medical, Physicians in Torrance, CA

If you're struggling with an acute joint injury or chronic musculoskeletal complaint, you're making a wise decision to come to visit our Torrance orthopedic doctor at Rolling Hills Medical.

But if you've never had an orthopedic evaluation, you may be wondering if orthopedic surgery is necessary or what to expect from ortho treatment. Let's explore this subject so you can get the most out of your appointment with our Orthopedic doctor and team.

How to Prepare for Your Appointment

Proper preparation for an orthopedic appointment begins from the moment you schedule that appointment. While it's easy and convenient to book your appointment through this website, you'll also want to obtain additional information by speaking to our office directly. The more you know about our insurance options, facility parking and other details, the more smoothly your visit will go.

Every medical office requires new patients to fill out certain forms. These forms give us valuable information that helps us help you. If you'd rather not spend time filling out these documents in our office, download the documents specific to Dr. Ghodadra from this page. Answer all of the questions as thoroughly as you can. We need to know such details as:

• Any current medical conditions or symptoms you're experiencing
• Your current list of medications or nutritional supplements, if any
• Any known allergies to drugs
• Your family medical history
• Previous diagnostic results, from X-rays to lab tests, related to your current problem

Orthopedic Evaluations and Tests

Once you've submitted the necessary documents, our Torrance orthopedic doctors will review the information while asking you about your symptoms, range of motion, everyday lifestyle, recent accidents, and any other factors associated with your condition.

The most direct means of seeing how your joint problem is affecting you is by running some physical tests. Our orthopedic doctor in Torrance may start by checking your stance, gait, posture, and musculoskeletal alignment. Dr. Ghodadra may also move the joint carefully to compare your pain-free range of motion against expected norms. We will note any external symptoms such as redness, swelling, or joint deformity.

Sometimes we must see inside the joint to understand exactly what has happened to it. X-rays imaging is a tried-and-true method for viewing internal structures such as bones and connective tissues. In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be recommended. This technique gives us cross-sectional views of the joints and bones, revealing details that a two-dimensional X-ray image might miss. If you'd had these kinds of imaging tests performed in the past, we can compare the current images to the previous ones, noting any changes in your condition.

Treatment Recommendations and Strategies

Once our Torrance orthopedic doctor has run all the necessary tests, it's time to make a diagnosis and prescribe the proper course of treatment. Depending on the type and severity of your specific condition, we may discuss such as options as:

• Therapeutic exercises to rehabilitate an injury or improve pain-free range of motion
• Chiropractic adjustment to normalize joint position and alignment
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to manage chronic joint pain or reduce swelling
• Cortocosteroid injections to provide heavy-duty joint pain relief for months at a time
• Minimally-invasive or traditional orthopedic surgery to repair joint damage or fuse joints that don't respond to other treatment methods

Take the First Steps Toward Feeling Better

Our Torrance CA orthopedic doctor is ready to help you enjoy a productive, positive experience here at Rolling Hills Medical. Take the first steps toward arranging your visit by downloading those forms and calling out Torrance CA office at 424-250-8699 for more details.