An orthopedic specialist treats diseases or injuries to the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments that make it possible for you to move your body. You are likely to be referred to an orthopedic surgeon by your primary care doctor or a rheumatologist if you have chronic pain or an injury that doesn’t respond to treatment from other doctors.

Some muscle and joint pain will resolve on its own over time, especially if it’s related to age or an activity that you do for work or leisure. If the pain persists for more than three months, has a negative impact on your quality of life or interferes with sleep, it’s worth an appointment with an orthopedist like Dr. Jeremy Burnham who can assess your condition and prescribe treatment to help relieve the pain.

Navigating Melbourne’s Orthopedic Landscape: Tips and Insights

Another type of orthopedic doctor is a spine surgeon who can treat back conditions such as spinal stenosis and degenerative spine disease. An orthopedic spine surgeon may also perform a surgical procedure called spinal fusion to join together adjacent vertebrae in the spine.

An orthopedic trauma surgeon specializes in treating traumatic injuries of the musculoskeletal system including fractures and dislocations. They often treat patients with complex injuries such as multiple fractures and ligament tears that require surgery. The other sub-specialty of an orthopedist is one who focuses on joint preservation. This is an area of specialty that consists of treatments to delay or prevent the need for hip or knee replacements by performing arthroscopic rebuilding of the ligaments in these joints.