Let’s Get Straight to the Joint

Orthopedic Specialist Dr. Oludare Ogunsola (known by his patients as Dr. O) is driven to give patients relief from injuries and joint pain. Here are some of his insights into current treatment options for arthritis and other orthopedic issues

A Pain in the Neck… or back, knee, hip, shoulder, hand, foot, etc.

There are two main types of joint pain: acute pain, which is usually due to an injury; and chronic pain, most often tied to arthritis or joint disease. At Adena Bone and Joint Center, we most often see and treat osteoarthritis that occurs from years of wear and tear. Osteoarthritis typically affects patients over the age of 30 and is characterized by dull, achy pain produced with activity. Adena’s Bone and Joint team is a multispecialty group that can treat all forms of arthritis to help improve, lessen or even mitigate symptoms – and get people back to living their lives.

Our Joint Approach

At Adena, we take a holistic approach to treatment of joint pain. We assess a patient’s degree of arthritis through exams and testing, then work with the patient to choose the treatment plan that works best for them. “I would say 90% or more of our patients do not need surgery and can be treated in the office,” says Dr. O. Factors causing joint pain could be a patient’s daily activities, sedentary lifestyle, diet and weight -- all things that can be adjusted to help minimize joint impact. Working with a patient’s primary care provider and possibly a dietician, Dr. O and the Adena Bone and Joint team work to help patients achieve their best health and then continue to access bone and joint needs from there.

Not Your Grandparents Joint Treatment

When treatment requires medications or injections, there are many options to help patients. For chronic arthritis pain or orthopedic injuries, Adena orthopedic providers often use orthobiologics to treat diseased or damaged cells, using the patient’s own healthy cells. One of these treatments is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) used to regenerate and heal injured tendons or muscle. With PRP, a patient’s platelets are “super charged” through a centrifuge and injected back into the damaged tissue area to aid healing and re-growth. The PRP treatment has shown a high rate of effectiveness for qualifying patients. An orthobiologic treatment for arthritis is stem cell harvesting. This uses a mix of bone marrow and fluid from a patient’s hip. The healthy cells are then processed and injected into the arthritic area. “This treatment for arthritis maybe an alternative to total joint replacement and will be the gold standard of the future,” says, Dr. O. “It takes about one hour and is an in-office procedure. There are few to no side-effects, and the treatment has been delivering very promising results.”

Grin and Bear it?

If joint pain is a regular part of your life, or is limiting your quality of life, call the Adena Bone & Joint Center. “There’s no need for patients to suffer joint pain, especially with all the advancements in medications and treatment options available,” says Dr. O. “There are things we can do to prevent excess wear and tear on patients’ joints.” Changing diet, weight and exercise can all help reduce joint pain. 

Replacement Parts

If a patient is not a candidate for injections, or is still experiencing chronic joint pain after running the course of treatments and therapies, joint replacement is an option. Adena Orthopedics has an excellent team of orthopedic surgeons who are experienced in the joint replacement of hips, knees and shoulders, using advanced surgical and robotic techniques. “Surgery is generally our last resort, but sometimes it is the best answer for patients who are experiencing chronic pain due to bone on bone friction or joint degradation,” says Dr. O. “We try to avoid surgery at too young an age, and we have an optimization program that helps patients meet healthy requirements before going into surgery.” Meeting these requirements helps to avoid potential complications and prepares patients for optimal outcomes.  

Being Flexible

Orthopedics is a hands-on, in-person practice, but we can offer consultations and perform patient check-ups using Virtual Visits. Patients should call the Adena Bone & Joint Centerto see what will work best for their circumstances. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Adena Health System has been taking extra precautionsto ensure the safety of our patients and staff with extra cleaning, sanitizing and maintaining safe distances during a visit to our facilities. We work with patients to make their visits meaningful and productive. “We know that it’s not always easy, missing work or time with family for an appointment, and we value our patients’ time,” says. Dr. O. “We work diligently in providing our patients the best experience with each office visit.”