Patient FAQ

Back pain could be due to degenerative disc, slipped disc, lower spine degeneration, muscle spasm or even abdominal etiology. As there is a wide causes of back pain, individuals from different demographics can thus suffer from low back pain.

A sporting injury can cause low back pain in the young. Weightlifter can suffer from prolapse disc. An office worker spending long hours working on the PC can also suffer from low back pain. Some of the red flags includes weight loss, loss of appetite, night pain, rest pain, radiation of pain to the lower limbs or tingling/numbness of the lower limbs. It is best to consult an ortho surgeon if you have these red flags. A detailed clinical review would exclude most of the malignant cause of low back pain. Imaging such as xrays and MRI would further delineate the etiology.

Calcium supplements have no effect at all on the joints. Calcium is an essential component of the bones. Calcium supplements in certain group of patients e.g.menopausal women are beneficial to prevent fragility of the bone ie osteoporosis.

Patients should start walking immediately after surgery! Unlike the past where patients walk one or two days after operation and stays for 4 to 5 days, we practice enhance early recovery surgery nowadays. Advances in perioperative analgesia, surgical technique, postoperative rehabilitation and nursing care, have contributed to rapid recovery and we do expect patients to start walking on the same day of operation abet with walking aid and assistant. We will also work towards discharging patient one to two days after surgery.

Keyhole surgery also known as arthroscopy provides surgeon useful options in treatment of patients with joints problem. These surgeries generally do not cause much pain. These keyhole surgeries are performed through two or three 1 cm skin incisions. Surgeries are then performed through small arthroscopy surgical instruments. These are considered minimally invasive surgeries. Even if patients developed pain after operation, advances in perioperative analgesia allow us ample options to keep the pain under control.

These are symptoms of trigger fingers. This is due to inflammation in and around the fingers tendon. You will also feel locking, snapping, catching, clicking around the fingers. The condition is normally progressive. Options for treatment include rest, splinting, anti inflammatory medications or steroid injections. If the symptoms persist with non surgical treatment, the tight bands can be release using a needle (minimally invasive) or open release using a one cm incision.

Platelet rich plasma is a form regenerative medical therapy. It uses the patients’ own platelets as a stimulant for regeneration, to accelerate repair and to reduce inflammation.

It involves taking a few tubes of the patient’s blood, spun down in a special centrifuge machine so as to concentrate the healing agents such as platelets and growth factors in the patient’s own blood. We then inject this concentrated plasma, guided at times by detailed imaging, into the area of interest. We can use PRP for knee osteoarthritis, patellar tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow etc

It is getting popular with elite sports athletics such as Tiger Woods. In fact, many professional sports training rooms have their own centrifuge machine that can prepare PRP.

It uses the patients’ own platelets as a stimulant for regeneration, to accelerate repair and possibly to reduce inflammation. After concentrating the plasma, it now contains 5-10 x the normal amount of platelets and growth factors. For world class athletes like Tiger Woods, every slight edge in performance counts. I guess the PRP have worked for them.

Having observed these trends, however, I must emphasize that the scientific evidence of PRP treatment is still in its infancy. More data is required to make a firm recommendation for PRP treatment. Still, the potential for PRP treatment is an attractive option clinically, as there are minimal side effects and sports athletes derive symptomatic benefit allowing them to continue their sport.