If you’re managing a rheumatic condition such as lupus, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, fibromyalgia or gout you may benefit from working with a local athletic therapist. A local athletic therapist is a wellness provider who assesses, diagnoses and treats musculoskeletal injuries. The musculoskeletal system includes the muscles, joints and bones. A local athletic therapist uses a variety of techniques to treat patients, including injury assessment, manual therapies, taping, biomechanical correction,  rehabilitative ultrasound imaging and exercise prescription.

Whether it’s using rehab equipment to recover from an orthopedic surgery or a manual adjustment for jaw pain, a local athletic therapist can help you return to your daily activity. If you have a joint or muscle condition such as vasculitis, you will work with a local family physician and/or a local rheumatologist to manage your condition. A local athletic therapist can work with your local rheumatologist to create your health and exercise plan, whether it’s squat exercises or stomach exercises. Your local athletic therapist can work with your healthcare team to create an ideal wellness plan for you, from your local registered dietitian or massage therapist to your local Pilates instructor.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes fragile bones due to low bone mass, leading to an increased risk of fracture. Osteoporosis can worsen over time, often not causing any symptoms until someone suffers a fracture, often of the hip, wrist, shoulder or spine. Osteoporosis is more common in older women.

While there is no exact cause of osteoporosis, risk factors include: • Genetics • Cigarette smoking • Lack of exercise • Bone loss due to menopause • Excessive alcohol consumption • Family history of osteoporosis • Lack of calcium and vitamin D • Rheumatoid arthritis Osteopenia is a condition that causes decreased bone density, but not enough to be classified as osteoporosis.

Your doctor may still recommend some osteoporosis treatments, depending on your results and risk of fracture. The goal of osteoporosis treatment is to slow or prevent bone loss and reduce your risk of fracture.

Generally, treatment involves osteoporosis medications such as: • Hormone therapy • Denosumab • Bisphosphonates • Parathyroid hormone (PTH) • Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) Other osteoporosis treatments include stopping alcohol and tobacco use, getting more exercise and increasing your intake of vitamin D and calcium for healthy bones.

There are many conditions that affect your body's musculoskeletal system, which involves the muscles, ligaments and joints. Orthopedic doctors work in hospitals and specialized practices.

Conditions Orthopedic Doctors Treat

Orthopedic physicians specialize in diagnosing and treating orthopedic injuries and conditions such as:

• Bursitis: The inflammation and swelling of a bursa, a fluid-filled sac that usually forms over the joints. It acts as a cushion between the bones and tendons. The most common cause is repetitive movements.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel. Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling in the thumb, index finger and middle finger, as well as in the thumb side of the ring fingers.
• Osteoarthritis: Caused when the cartilage on the ends of the bones wears down. Often, the bones rub against each other, causing pain and swelling. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritus, affecting millions of people worldwide.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: At first, rheumatoid arthritis usually only attacks a few joints, but over time it affects more, causing joint pain, swelling and stiffness. Many people experience worse RA pain in the morning or after they’ve been sitting or lying down for awhile.