No Appointment, Walk-in Orthopaedic Clinics: Open Monday – Friday, Hours vary at each location
All our OrthoNow locations are equipped to perform X-Rays, Bracing, & Castings after full examination of injuries.
Four Convenient Locations
Insurance plans OrthoNow participates with:
- Aetna PPO/Managed Choice (No HMO)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of VA
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC (All of states must call)
- Cigna HMO/PPO
- Coventry Network Plans
- Department of Veterans Affairs*
- Veterans Choice* (Triwest)
- First Health Network Plans
- Fiserv/UMR
- GEHA (United Healthcare)
- Golden Rule
- HealthKeepers HMO*
- HealthKeepers Priority
- Humana Commercial Plans
OrthoNow Exceptions: At this time, we do not accept Medicaid, self-pay, or auto accident patients at our OrthoNow, walk-in clinics. In these cases, please call to make an appointment at 757-321-3360.
- Humana Medicare Plans (Including CCC)
- Mail Handlers
- MediBlue
- Medicare Part B
- Mediplus/MOAA
- Mutual of Omaha
- Multiplan Network Plans
- Optima/Sentara (All plans except Optima Family Care)
- Optimum Choice*
- PHCS – Private Healthcare Systems
- Tricare Standard (Authorized provider but not a participating provider. Patient must sign nonpar)
- Tricare of Life
- United Healthcare (Student Resource plans requires referral)
- VHN – Virginia Health Network
OUR ORTHONOW SERVICES
What Are Fractures?
A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone.
Fractures are common; the average person has two during a lifetime. They occur when the physical force exerted on the bone is stronger than the bone itself.
Your risk of fracture depends, in part, on your age. Broken bones are very common in childhood, although children’s fractures are generally less complicated than fractures in adults. As you age, your bones become more brittle and you are more likely to suffer fractures from falls that would not occur when you were young.
There are many types of fractures, but the main categories are displaced, non-displaced, open, and closed. Displaced and non-displaced fractures refer to the alignment of the fractured bone.
In a displaced fracture, the bone snaps into two or more parts and moves so that the two ends are not lined up straight. If the bone is in many pieces, it is called a comminuted fracture. In a non-displaced fracture, the bone cracks either part or all of the way through, but does move and maintains its proper alignment.
A closed fracture is when the bone breaks but there is no puncture or open wound in the skin. An open fracture is one in which the bone breaks through the skin; it may then recede back into the wound and not be visible through the skin. This is an important difference from a closed fracture because with an open fracture there is a risk of a deep bone infection.
A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle.
The difference between a sprain and a strain is that a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones together, while a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.
There are many causes of back or leg pain.
Traumatic causes include sports injuries. Other causes can relate to the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, joints, soft tissues, or bones.
The course of treatment depends on the cause of the back or leg pain.
Back or leg pain can often be treated at home, but if pain is sudden, severe, or persistent, or if there are other symptoms, medical attention may be necessary.
Neck arm syndrome or neck arm pain, are umbrella terms which encompass a variety of conditions affecting your neck or upper back that also include some arm symptoms. The most common type of neck arm pain is Neck-Shoulder Pain, which is obviously a relationship between neck and shoulder pain.
Symptoms Include:
- Neck pain, stiffness or soreness
- Pins and needles
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Burning, sharp or dull pain radiating down the arm.
The location of your symptoms correlates with the muscles and skin innervated by the affected nerve. This is why you may experience numbness over only the 4th and 5th fingers, or 2nd and 3rd fingers, or burning pain over the outside of your elbow but not the inside. Your symptoms are nerve specific.
It is important to visit our AOS OrthoNow center when your pain becomes a concern.
Since sports often require repeated movements, putting pressure on the same joints and bones each time, certain conditions are more common than others. Some of the most frequently reported sports-related injuries include:
- Plantar fasciitis: The tissue that runs from your heel to your toes is called “fascia.” If it becomes damaged or stretched, the bottom of your foot may experience sharp pains and swelling.
- Hamstring pull: Excessive jumping or running can overextend the muscles along the back of your thigh.
- Achilles tendinitis: The “Achilles” muscles adjoining your calf with your heel can become swollen and uncomfortable, most often in runners.
- Concussion: A traumatic injury to your head can damage the protective gel and fluid coating your brain, temporarily impairing your cognitive function and causing fatigue. This is particularly common in high-impact contact sports such as football or rugby. If left untreated, concussions can be fatal, so it is important to see a sports medicine specialist as soon as possible if you experience a blow to the head during athletic activity.
- Ankle sprain: Stretching or rupturing your ankle ligaments can be uncomfortable and impair your mobility. This injury can occur during any sport that requires repetitive foot movements.
- Shoulder injury: Any sport that involves throwing or hitting, such as tennis or baseball, can cause shoulder injuries such as inflamed joints or torn ligaments. The rotator cuff tendons of the shoulder are particularly prone to sports-related damage.
- Quadriceps strain: If the quadriceps muscles in the outer thigh become overworked, stretched, or torn, usually due to repeated squatting or lunging motions, they can interfere with your ability to walk and stand properly.
- Hip bursitis: The hip’s “bursa” are fluid-filled membranes that pad the joints. Biking, running, or standing for long periods can cause them to swell.
- Epicondylitis: Also called “tennis elbow” for the sport that most frequently causes it, this is a swollen outer elbow joint.
- Lower back pain: Running, bending over, and twisting can put undue pressure on your lower back vertebrae, muscles, and ligaments, harming them. Many athletes believe aching in the lower back is a normal part of exercise, but it is actually a symptom of what could be a serious injury such as a spinal fracture. If you experience chronic back pain, especially after playing or training for sports, contact your doctor for an assessment. Stretching before you exercise can help strengthen and stretch your lower back muscles to reduce your risk.
- Shin splints: These are sharp pains that result from running. They can be caused by an improper foot arch, weak hip or abdominal muscles, swollen shin muscles, or even stress fractures, small cracks in the leg bones.
- Torn ACL (knee): The anterior cruciate ligament, or “ACL,” helps your knee move properly. Overuse or rapid twists can damage or tear the ACL, limiting your leg movement. This injury can take up to nine months to heal.
- Palletofemoral syndrome: Repeated impact or strain can begin to dissolve or fragment the knee cap’s cartilage, making bending down very uncomfortable and causing an unsettling cracking noise when using the knee.
- Groin pull: Jumping, sprinting, and sudden movements can injure the muscles that connect your pelvis to your upper thighs, causing a groin pull. You may hear a crackling sound as you strain these muscles and then feel a prolonged aching when you attempt to use your thighs, especially when lifting or closing them.
Sports medicine specialists and orthopedists specializing in sports injuries can help diagnose and treat any of the above conditions to allow for freer movement and alleviate your symptoms.
At Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, we are committed to providing the highest quality musculoskeletal care for all of our patients, including those with occupational injuries. Not only is it our goal to restore function and mobility of a patient, we also strive to help employers manage that patient’s eventual return to work. We are extremely proud of all of the following WC services we provide and constantly seek out new ways to make the rehabilitative process move smoothly and efficiently for both patient and employee.
Tendons are cord-like structures located where a muscle narrows down to attach to a bone. The tendon is more fibrous and dense than the elastic, fleshy muscle. A tendon transmits the pull of the muscle to the bone to cause movement. Tendinitis is often very tender to the touch.
Tendinitis or bursitis often involves the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle. The pain it causes may be quite severe and often occurs suddenly. As in arthritis, the pain is worse during movement. Unlike arthritis, the pain is often in parts of the body far from a joint. Tendinitis often results from repetitive use (overuse). Though the problem can recur or be chronic (long term) in some people, it is most often short term, mainly if treated early.
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. This small sac acts as a cushion between moving structures (bones, muscles, tendons or skin). If a muscle or tendon is pulling around a corner of a bone, or over a bone, a healthy bursa protects it from fraying and stress. When a bursa is inflamed, it becomes very painful, even during rest.
Foot and ankle injuries are often thought of as sports injuries. But you don’t have to be an athlete or even a “weekend warrior” to turn your ankle and hurt it. Something as simple as walking on an uneven surface can cause a painful, debilitating sprain.
Ankle injuries can happen to anyone at any age. However, men between 15 and 24 years old have higher rates of ankle sprains, compared to women older than age 30 who have higher rates than men. Half of all ankle sprains occur during an athletic activity. Every day in the U.S., 25,000 people sprain their ankle. And more than 1 million people visit emergency rooms each year because of ankle injuries. The most common ankle injuries are sprains and fractures, which involve ligaments and bones in the ankle. But you can also tear or strain a tendon.
HIP
As the largest joint in our bodies, the hip is prone to injury as well as wear and tear.
When it comes to the hips, watch for any obvious deformation, especially after an injury or fall. You should also see a physician if you can’t move your leg or put weight on it without hip pain – especially in your groin area. Be aware of any sudden pain, intense swelling or redness/fever, too.
However, going to the doctor isn’t just for severe hip pain. If you’ve been aching for a while and over-the-counter pain relievers worked for a bit, but have since stopped working, give your physician a call. A good rule of thumb is to give the pain two weeks. If ice, heat and pain relievers aren’t cutting it, make an appointment.
KNEE
How do you know when your knees are telling you to go to the doctor? Don’t wait to be seen by a medical professional if you fall or get hit by something with a lot of force. Immediate medical attention is also recommended if you felt a “pop,” are unable to put weight on your leg, or if your knee appears to be deformed.
You should also see a doctor if you have redness/fever, intense pain and swelling, or tenderness around the joint.
While these are just guidelines, you should always listen to what your body is telling you. Ice, heat and over-the-counter pain relievers can help with many aches and pains in our joints, but don’t wait until there is permanent damage to your joints to talk to a doctor.
SHOULDER
Shoulders can be tricky. There’s a lot of opportunity for “referred pain,” which means something else is happening in your body that really has nothing to do with your shoulder joint. The pain just shows up there. For example, if you have intense pain in your shoulder that can come with chest tightness or shortness of breath, call 911. That could be a sign of a heart attack. Neck issues can also refer pain to the shoulder area.
For shoulder joint pain, head to an emergency center if you experience any of the following:
- sudden pain
- your shoulder looks deformed
- you can’t lift your arm away from your body
- you have intense swelling
- if you feel a “pop” after an injury or fall
Many people dealing with shoulder pain finally decide to see their doctor when the pain affects their sleep. But you don’t have to wait that long. You should make an appointment if your shoulder is swollen or red, or if it feels warm or tender when you touch it.
Our team at AOS OrthoNow Clinic are Hampton Roads recognized experts in bone repair. With our highly advanced X-ray technology, our doctors are able to pinpoint the broken bone and accurately cast or splint the area after realigning the bones.
Casts and splints protect the injured bone and prevent it from moving around and becoming further damaged. Casts are made from fiberglass and plaster materials and create a hard outer shell to prevent the bone from bumping into things. Sometimes called “half-casts,” splints can be adjusted to accommodate for the injury and don’t provide as much support as casts do.
