How to Find the Best Orthopedic Doctor After a Car Accident

Have you or your loved one been injured in a car accident? Broken bones, torn muscles and ligaments, and other orthopedic injuries are very painful. You need to find the best orthopedic doctor to help you rehabilitate post-accident.

Perhaps you have a family physician or were treated at the emergency room after your accident. Your care should not end there. You need specialized treatment to care for these injuries. Additionally, without specialized treatment, you face a likelihood of developing debilitating diseases that could cause you a lifetime of pain.

Seeking the best orthopedic doctor after a car accident in central Florida is easy. The orthopedic staff at Sterling Medical Group is caring, experienced, and have a great success rate for treating car accident victims.

The Sterling Medical Group Difference

Sterling Medical Group can assure you that you don’t need to go to multiple facilities for multiple injuries. In addition to our orthopedic specialists, we have a team of neurosurgeons and pain management care available all in one practice.

On top of the doctors, each patient is assigned a bi-lingual caseworker to serve as your liaison while you’re under our care. The caseworker will coordinate your paperwork, manage record requests, and assist you with your settlement paperwork.

Your car accident caused much disruption in your life. At Sterling Medical Group, our goal is to add convenience during this stressful time.

So, when you’re looking for the best orthopedic doctor after a car accident, look no further than Sterling Medical Group.

What Is An Orthopedic Doctor?

Orthopedics doctors treat patients who experience injuries or degenerative diseases of the bones, joints, or nerves.

Orthopedic doctors are highly specialized practitioners. They can diagnose, construct effective treatment plans, and perform surgeries on patients when needed.

An orthopedic specialist must graduate medical school then complete a 5-year residency as an orthopedic surgeon.

Why Do I Need to See an Orthopedic Doctor After A Car Accident?

Car accidents cause serious medical issues, so seeking help from an orthopedic doctor after a car accident is crucial if you have injuries.

A few of the injuries most commonly treated by an orthopedic specialist after a car wreck are as follows:

• Broken hip (from crash impact)
• Broken or fractured hands/fingers (from trying to protect the face)
• Broken or fractured clavicle or ribs (from airbag deployment or seat restraint)
• Shoulder impingements (from crash impact or seat restraint)
• Torn MCL/ACL (from the twisting motion during collision)
• Disc herniation

These are only a small look at the scope of injuries that orthopedic doctors can treat. The team at Sterling Medical Group can treat every car accident injury, and we will customize a treatment plan to help you heal and manage your pain.

Degenerative Diseases That Can Be Triggered by a Car Accident

Not only will our orthopedic doctors treat your immediate injuries, but they will also be able to help you fend off degenerative diseases the can result from car accident injuries.

Sometimes, the initial injuries are the beginning of a downward spiral. If you fail to seek treatment, your body will probably not fully recover. The result of this can be degenerative diseases. These are diseases that begin with a twinge but worsen over time and can be totally debilitating.

Some degenerative diseases that the orthopedic doctor can help avoid in an injured body are:

• Arthritis: A disease that causes joint pain ranging from mild to excruciating.
• Spinal stenosis: This occurs when the channel through the middle of your vertebrae narrows. It’s often the result of a traumatic injury. Once the channel becomes too narrow, it begins to affect your nervous system. It’s a dangerous condition and very painful as it progresses.
• Sciatica: This condition is caused by a pinching of the sciatic nerve which runs from your lumbar back to both feet. The pain ranges from mild to throbbing, depending on the severity.
• Hip bursitis: This is painful inflammation of the bursae, which are the “shocks” of your hips. Pain is often described as unbearable in advanced stages.
• Infections (after fractures): When a bone is broken so that it pokes out the skin, there’s a risk of infection developing. If not treated promptly, these infections can cause additional complications.
• Tendonitis: Tendons run throughout your body connecting bones to muscles. When the tendons become irritated or inflamed, it can range from discomfort to very painful depending on the individual case.

While a car accident is not always the cause of these ailments, injuries can trigger them. From there, your condition will continue to slowly deteriorate. Seeking immediate care after your injury is the best prevention.

How Quickly Should You Seek Medical Advice After a Car Accident?

Our advice to patients is that you should always accept medical treatment when offered it at the scene of a car wreck.

Immediate Symptoms of Orthopedic Injuries:

Some injuries will be blatant, and you will know you need immediate care. Some examples are broken bones, lacerations, inability to stand or move, or other obvious injuries. You will likely be taken to a hospital for emergency treatment without question.

Delayed Symptoms of Orthopedic Injuries:

While injuries with immediate symptoms are dangerous, there are also delayed symptoms. Here’s why delayed symptoms can become very risky.

You leave the scene of your accident with some bruising on your arm, for example. You presume that an icepack and some OTC pain reliever will get you set back straight. However, you arrive home and the swelling continues to get even uglier looking. You head to get some rest to sleep it off. When you awaken, you can’t move your arm because the pain is intolerable. It has become apparent that you have a badly injured arm.

Fractures need to be treated by an orthopedic doctor, and the sooner the better. You’ve now wasted 14 hours or so of time because you wrongly assumed you had a bad bruise. With some fractures, this could mean the difference between 6 weeks of wearing a cast or 8 weeks of recovering from surgery.

Other Reasons to See the Orthopedic Doctor Right Away

In addition to receiving quick treatment for your injuries, here’s a little more food for thought.

If you don’t seek treatment immediately, you could waive your rights to file an insurance claim or receive a settlement if delayed symptoms turn up later. This can mean that you are left with an exorbitant amount of medical bills with no compensation from your insurance.

A car wreck is a significant event for the human body. The best practice is always to seek medical treatment right away, at least to get checked over for any hidden injuries.

The Best Orthopedic Doctors in Central Florida

How do you find the best orthopedic doctor after a car accident? Sterling Medical Group offers 13 central Florida locations, so you’re sure to find us nearby. Our friendly staff looks forward to taking care of you during this stressful time of your life.

Book your appointment online today, or call us at the nearest location.