Welcome to the Orthopaedic and Pain Practice. We offer a comprehensive range of musculoskeletal services catering to anyone seeking to improve their quality of life. Our establishment is built on the principle that every patient’s condition is unique and requires a personalized approach to achieve the best outcomes. Orthopaedics is the branch of medicine that deals with the treatment of defects, injuries, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Whether you are an elite competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, someone who engages in regular physical activity, or someone who wishes to maintain an active lifestyle, you may at some point require specialist medical care to address a musculoskeletal issue. Knee surgery can help you regain motion and flexibility, but this is only one possible treatment.
The first, and widely agreed upon step in the management of any orthopaedic patient, should involve addressing the problem of pain before deciding a future course of treatment. Here at the Orthopaedic and Pain Practice, we are a team of dedicated specialists and professionals talented in delivering patient-centric, comprehensive care for a wide array of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. With core competencies in orthopaedics and pain management, we are experts at providing empirically grounded treatments for the multitude of joint, bone, muscle, and nerve conditions, as well as offering guidance on falling, staying, and keeping well. We place great importance on continuing and rigorous education, undertaking clinical research, embracing innovations and technologies, and supporting our clients at every step of their treatment journey. We provide a multi-dimensional, integrative, and comprehensive approach to musculoskeletal health management.
Treatment Modalities for Musculoskeletal Conditions
At the Orthopaedic and Pain Practice, we recognize the preference for non-invasive treatment options for musculoskeletal conditions. Our range of musculoskeletal services offers our patients the most relevant and innovative non-invasive and invasive treatment options. This comprehensive musculoskeletal treatment approach means that our team of consultants and physiotherapists offers a wide range of services after a thorough evaluation of the nature and severity of each patient’s condition. One of the non-invasive treatment options is physical therapy (and to a certain extent) occupational therapy, which focuses on mobility and restoring function. There are exercises, manual therapy, and patient education, including the use of assistive devices. Another broad service would be medication management – minimizing discomfort and managing the symptoms. An additional treatment option could be complementary and alternative medicine. These services and holistic treatments include massage, chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, and acupuncture therapy. These treatment options offer comfort to patients who wish to try a non-Western method to manage pain or discomfort. These treatment modalities are ways to reduce musculoskeletal pain, improve function, and maintain structure. There are certain conditions where these services have been tested and proven to be effective. The decision to offer these treatment plans of care is made based on the patient’s initial consultation and assessments. At the Orthopaedic and Pain Practice, research is available for internal updates to ensure that innovative and evidence-based techniques are used to develop treatment plans that will improve the mobility and function of patients. Ongoing research includes the use of regenerative medicine and the implementation of active self-care that promotes conditioning, balance, and proper movement.
Lower Back Pain: Causes and Treatment Approaches
There are many possible causes of lower back pain, and each case is unique. Factors that may induce or worsen back pain include a sedentary lifestyle, occupation, trauma, genetics, lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity, and various diseases such as herniated discs, arthritis, infections, tumors, and congenital anomalies. Treatment for lower back pain also differs depending on the cause, duration, and severity. The first step in treating lower back pain is conservative non-surgical or pain alleviating interventional techniques. The patient is advised to maintain a healthy body weight to avoid obesity-induced strain, and to practice good body biomechanics such as bending the knees instead of bending the back. Although surgery does help treat lower back pain, we do not recommend surgery to treat non-traumatic lower back pain right away due to the complex nature of rating and diagnosing the issue. Other non-surgical treatments include various medications, a multidisciplinary team involving physiatrists, chiropractors, physical therapy, and rehabilitation to improve activities of daily living and pain, and psychological consults. Although psychological factors alone are not known to cause back pain, if present, they can decrease the level of discomfort. Only if the effectiveness is limited does spine surgery become an option.
Specialized Services for Specific Conditions
The Orthopaedic and Pain Practice is dedicated to delivering personalized musculoskeletal care and will tailor a treatment package for you. We offer focused services and teams for specific conditions rather than more routine care. This comprehensive service includes access to a range of specialists, therapists, and treatments not offered in most clinics. These include advanced radiology and ultrasound, minimally invasive procedures, innovative care pathways, and technology. In the clinic, we pride ourselves on our approach of working with you to decide the best management for you, using the latest technology, our expertise, as well as evidence to support you. This approach is also used when working with other healthcare professionals who may be involved in your care. The Orthopaedic and Pain Practice is one of the few secondary/tertiary musculoskeletal centers in the region that sees many patients with very rare debilitating conditions. Although we see a large number of patients with routine issues, such as back and shoulder conditions, because we also see these rare conditions, we have up-to-date knowledge and expertise in the latest treatments to benefit our patients. We treat people of any age group and gender with impairments in physical body function and structure through detailed history taking, physical examination, evaluation of imaging, and based on the complete understanding of the pathophysiology of the condition, formulate an evidence-based management and treatment pathway, tailored for each individual with the goal of improving their quality of life and their pain and function.
Navigating Life Post-Knee Replacement
Knee replacement surgery has provided the freedom of movement for many of our patients, allowing them to live life to the fullest. Most patients will be able to walk and perform light activities without much discomfort after six to eight weeks. This timeframe varies between individuals. Resuming sports like golf, tai chi, aqua jogging, and swimming can happen within a month or two. For more demanding activities like jogging and resistance training, patients can expect a readiness level of three months. Please note that though the majority will not feel any issues with these activities at three months post-surgery, there are still some precautions and things to note. The Orthopaedic and Pain Practice in Singapore offers knee replacement surgery for patients.
Some patients can feel knee stiffness, limitations, and have mild swelling even at twelve weeks. After six months, the knee should feel right for most people.
Rehabilitation is very important to regain strength and mobility, as good function will discourage pain and swelling from building up in the knee. Learning to negotiate stairs is also an important aspect of rehabilitation and can cause a few problems when performed incorrectly, overstraining the muscles and fatiguing them. The better the rehabilitation, the faster the recovery to normal activities of daily living. Supervised rehabilitation is vital to the recovery process, especially for alleviating fear of movement. Effective pain management in the initial stages after the procedure can promote a good start to the rehabilitation process. There are medications at different levels of the pain pathway in the body, which can help. Your doctor will be able to discuss a suitable regime for you. Usually, you will be given a few practical tips and information before discharge to help you at home. To lower the risk of dislocation, some physical activity advice will be given. After discharge, people will be able to return to the comfort of their own home. There will be a few lifestyle modifications that will need to be made at home. An aging-friendly home will contribute to many older people’s independence. The occupational therapist will provide more guidance relating to assistive devices if necessary. Be conscious that assistive devices are provided for emergencies or for those who require an even amount of assistance, so it is important not to use these devices for long periods of time. Due to the nature of the operation, many people feel low and that they cannot do what they used to be able to do physically and independently. These feelings are normal and not something to be ignored. Most conditions improve after a while, and after adjusting to these feelings, patients can move on. If you still feel low and it’s impacting your daily life, counseling support is available. Joining patient organizations to interact with those who have been in the same situation as you can be a positive step in the rehabilitation process as well. You will also be given educational material and resources after surgery.
Tips for a Smooth Recovery and Enhanced Mobility
Exercises are needed to improve the flexibility and strength of your knee. Rehabilitation for strength and function is the most important therapy for your recovery. Right after the operation, try to walk with the help of an assistant under the guidance of a good physiotherapist. Later, you can initiate cycling, swimming, and low-impact aerobics to equally strengthen and improve the flexibility of your entire body. Start with walking a little more than you did the day before. Gradually increase and decrease your walking and other activities of your choice and range. Avoid overexerting and give regular rest breaks in between.
Follow your health care provider’s prescribed post-operation precautions to regain mobility, strength, and flexibility of the new joint. Make sure to schedule a follow-up with your health care provider for the removal of your staples. Also, schedule a follow-up appointment for your first post-operative check-up and, if needed, to schedule physical therapy. Proper hydration is an important part of recovery. Sufficient fluid helps to optimize tissue healing and minimize the effects of frequently reported constipation post-surgery. Adequate hydration generally means a full pitcher every day. Your diet is responsible for healing tissue. Include vegetables and fruits in every meal. You also need to meet your protein needs, so they should be part of every meal. Pace yourself to avoid overexertion and an extreme increase in pain and inflammation. Your carefully prepared exercise schedule, which aims to improve function and wellness, is crucial to smooth and effective recovery. Make sure you get enough rest. We need to take a sufficient amount of sleep to maximize the body’s tissue recovery process. To ease the pressure on the knee and raise it above heart level for a long time, use pillows under the calf.
