mybonsecours
Working together for your best health
Bon Secours Orthopaedic Institute offers each patient its team of skilled, specialized medical professionals who work together for your best health.
The care prescribed by your team for your personal orthopaedic health may include medical, physical and surgical solutions. Depending on your individual needs and the plan of care that you and your doctor agree upon, you will meet some of the Bon Secours caregivers whose roles are described here.
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic surgeons manage the care of patients, prescribing medical, physical and surgical options. Their patients’ musculoskeletal problems may be caused by factors including birth defects, trauma, infections, tumors, metabolic issues, or injuries and degenerative diseases of the spine, hands, feet, knee, hip, shoulder and elbow. An orthopaedic surgeon is a Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy who has completed a five year surgical residency. Many pursue additional fellowships that prepare them for specialization in surgeries of the spine, hand, or ankle and foot.
Spine Surgery by Orthopaedic Surgeons and Neurosurgeons
Back pain is the most common musculoskeletal problem – and in terms of its ability to keep us out of work, or from working at full capacity, it could be the most expensive. Spinal fusion, laminectomy and discectomy are common procedures. Typically, both orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are sought out by patients for relief of pain and its management through medical and surgical means.
Foot and Ankle Certification, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons are specially trained in the diagnosis, care, and treatment of patients with disorders of the the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles tendons, nerves, and skin of the foot and ankle. They perform reconstructive procedures, treat sports injuries, and manage and treat trauma of the foot and ankle. Orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons work with physicians of many other specialties, including internal medicine, pediatrics, vascular surgery, endocrinology, radiology, anesthesiology, and others.
Hand Surgery Certification, Orthopaedic Surgeon
The complex structures of the hand, wrist and forearm require an additional year’s residency in hand surgery after an orthopaedic surgeon has completed their standard five-year residency. A hand surgeon is qualified to perform trauma surgery of the hand and wrist, microvascular surgery, arthritis surgery (rheumatoid and osteoarthritis), reconstructive wrist surgery and peripheral nerve surgery.
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialist
These specialized physicians, also called physiatrists, are nerve, muscle, and bone experts who treat injuries or illnesses that affect how you move. They treat a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. They work to decrease pain and enhance function without surgery. The physiatrist works with the orthopedic surgeon, with neurologists and physical therapists to help keep patients active as possible.
Sports Medicine Physician
A sports medicine doctor is specially trained to promote lifelong fitness and wellness and to prevent illness and injury. Approximately 90% of all sports injuries are non-surgical. Common examples of musculoskeletal problems examined by a sports medicine doctor are ankle sprains, muscle strains, knee and shoulder injuries and fractures, and overuse injuries such as tendonitis and stress fractures. They can expedite referral to an orthopaedic/sports surgeon when needed, and can help guide referrals to appropriate rehabilitative care and services.
Family Medicine Doctor
The specialist in Family Medicine is trained to manage a patient’s lifetime wellness and fitness and overall health. They often are the care providers who “connect the dots” between symptoms that seem unrelated. Their recognition of a potential orthopaedic problem can result in referral to a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist or to an Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Pain Management/Medicine Specialist
An MD or DO specially trained in pain management, the Pain Manager is a key player in coordinated orthopaedic care. They are trained to help with common sources of neck, thoracic and lower back pain. Sciatica, disc herniation and degeneration, failed back and neck surgeries, osteoarthritis and degenerative joint diseases, vertebral compression, are sources of pain.
Medical Acupuncturist
The medical acupuncturist is an MD or DO who has completed advanced training. Modern medical acupuncture is an alternative therapy that some clinicians and patients choose as an option to address functional problems and pain. Acupuncture is the use of needles for therapeutic benefit. In orthopaedic cases, they are applied to the complex, interwoven neural and muscular network of the musculoskeletal system.
Registered Dietician/Nutritionist
There is a direct link between orthopaedic health and nutrition and weight. Excessive weight is a key cause of unhealthy hips, knees and ankles, requiring orthopaedic care. Better nutrition assists healing and fuels activity and blood, tissue and bone development.
Physical Therapist
Your family doctor or Sports Medicine or Orthopaedic specialist prescribes therapy to correct imbalance, build strength, or increase motion and flexibility. The physical therapist is trained to provide the non-surgical therapy at their direction. Physical therapy may be used to help delay a surgery, but is often prescribed after surgery to insure quicker recovery and a return to normal activity.
Occupational Therapist
When the ability to perform the actions of daily living – reaching, grasping, using tools and moving around home or work - is lost or diminished, an occupational therapist retrains the patient to reclaim lost function and performance.
Post Surgical Care Nurse
The veteran nurse who cares for patients in post-operative surgical care or in a skilled nursing facility to which many Orthopaedic surgery patients are discharged is also an orthopaedic specialist. Orthopaedic patients start working towards recovery within hours of a surgical procedure. The nurse understands their needs and helps to manage their discomfort and their first steps on the road to recovery.
Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)
In Virginia, a certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) is recognized as an allied health professional who works with athletes and teams. Most scholastic sports teams have trainers who assist with fitness and conditioning, provide care for minor sprains and strains, and who monitor an athlete’s rehab after injury. The athletic trainer refers athletes to a sports medicine or orthopaedic specialist when a problem requires their help.
Care Manager/Discharge Planner
The care manager handles details of the patient’s move from post-surgery care in the hospital to either home or a nursing facility, from transportation to tools, rehabilitation equipment rental and installation, and home health services
