Many conditions that the Orthopaedic team cares for may be treated through non-surgical means. In many cases, patients should first try non-surgical treatment options before considering surgery.
There are several different non-surgical treatment options available that your physician, nurse practitioner, or physical therapist may prescribe. Treatment options will vary depending on the condition and the severity of the injury. Here are some common non-surgical treatments:
Physical therapy and exercise (rehabilitation medicine)
For some conditions your doctor may prescribe physical therapy and/or exercises in order to strengthen or increase the mobility of the muscles, ligaments, and tissues around the area of the injury or condition. Conditions that may be helped by physical therapy or exercise include arthritis, shoulder instability, and lower back pain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) may be prescribed to reduce swelling, pain, or joint stiffness.
Corticosteroids (injection and medication)
Corticosteroids are powerful drugs that may be prescribed to reduce inflammation if NSAIDs are not effective. These may be given as a pill or an injection.
Resting or stopping activity that causes pain
Sometimes the best medicine for certain conditions is to stop activity that causes pain to allow the muscles, tendons, or joints time to rest and heal.
Platelet Rich Plasma Injections
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), is the concentration of platelets from a patient's own blood. Whole blood is mainly a liquid (blood plasma) that also contains small solid components: red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets. Platelets are best known for clotting blood, but platelets also contain proteins called growth factors. Growth factors are the elements the body uses in the healing process of injuries.
PRP is a reasonable step for the treatment of chronically inflamed tendons, ligaments and osteoarthritic joints that have not responded to conservative treatment such as physical therapy, bracing and activity modification.
Viscosupplemntation or Placental Tissue Matrix Injections
This is one of several orthobiologic treatments available. Orthobiologic injections are molecules, cells or tissues that can aid in the healing and reparative process of a musculoskeletal injury or condition. The most common are hyraluronic acid viscosupplement, platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), and placental tissue matrix injections.
Viscosupplementation is the injection of hyaluronic acid viscosupplement or “gel injection”.
About the Speakers
Jason Genin, DO is a staff physician in Medical Orthopaedic & Sports in the Orthopaedic Surgery Department. He is active in many research projects within these areas and also held several positions including Director, Osteopathic Sports Medicine Fellowship, Team Physician, Cleveland Indians Baseball Club and Consulting Physician, Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prior to Dr. Genin’s appointment at Cleveland Clinic, he did his fellowship with Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital Sports Medicine, Residency at West Virginia University and obtained board certification at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
His specialty interests include non-operative management of orthopaedic conditions, sports injuries, tendon or ligament conditions, musculoskeletal guided ultrasound procedures and ultrasound procedures.
Dominic King, DO is a staff physician in the Medical Orthopaedic Physician in the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at Cleveland Clinic. He is active in many research projects within these areas and also held several positions including co-lead for soft tissue application of cell based therapies for orthopaedics, Chairman of the Orthopaedic Technology Committee and a
Major League Baseball (MLB) Independent Medical Examiner for Disability Physicals.
Prior to Dr. King’s appointment at Cleveland Clinic, he performed his fellowship and residency at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital Sports Medicine and obtained board certification at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
His specialty interests include non-operative management of orthopaedic conditions, sports injuries, tendon or ligament conditions, musculoskeletal guided ultrasound procedures and ultrasound procedures.