Acute Orthopedic Care

Accidents happen and when they result in an injury you may have questions on what to do next. When you suffer an acute injury and need treatment to help manage pain or heal the injury, you deserve comprehensive, high quality care that is specialized for your needs. Here at Montgomery Sports Medicine Center we know that education and prevention of injuries are of utmost importance. With this in mind, we strive to provide the best medical and orthopedic care available with the goal of returning you to activity as soon as possible. 

Acute injuries are of sudden onset, caused by high-intensity forces, and of short duration. They typically occur when any of your soft tissues, like skin, cartilage, muscles, ligaments and tendons receive damage after an accident. Your bones and other nerves could also be affected as a result of the injury. It is very common for acute injuries to affect the musculoskeletal system, resulting in sprains, strains, contusions (bruises), or fractures (broken bones).

Symptoms may vary depending on the specific injury that occurred. 

Common symptoms may include: 

• Sudden, severe pain
• Inability to place weight on a leg, knee, ankle or foot
• Inability to move a joint normally
• Extreme swelling or bruising is present
• Extreme weakness of an injured limb
• A bone or joint that is visibly out of place

Some injuries may require immediate attention at an urgent care facility or emergency room. Please visit these facilities when:

• The bone is visible
• The bone is fractured at a severe angle
• There are deep cuts or lacerations
• There is an open wound over the fracture (compound fracture)
• Experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing

Some conditions do not require immediate attention and are more suitable for an appointment with one of our specialists. Please schedule an appointment when:

• Being referred by a primary care physician
• Lower extremity injuries where you can still put weight on it, such as in the foot, ankle, lower leg, hip, or knee (ankle or knee sprains, suspected meniscus tear)
• Upper extremity injuries that result in pain, swelling, and/or decreased range of motion
• Injuries to the spine (neck, mid-back, lower back) that do not improve within a few days

Yes, there are some quick steps you can take to help mitigate symptoms and start your path to recovery. A common, immediate injury treatment is to follow the PRICE method: 

• Protect: Consider immobilization and prevent further damage
• Rest: Prevent further damage by limiting movement and resting to avoid unnecessary strain
• Ice: Ice the impacted area periodically throughout the day for at least 10 minutes at a time to minimize and reduce swelling as well as to decrease pain.
• Compression: Applying compression to the impacted area minimizes swelling and provides mild support
• Elevation: Elevating the injured area helps to further reduce swelling, as it improves the drainage of fluids from the area of injury, limits the flow of additional fluids to the injury site, helps to reduce pain, limits the loss of range of motion, and possibly speeds up recovery time