Injury Prevention and Orthopedic Wellness

At OrthoCarolina, we believe in educating patients about prevention and maintenance of the musculoskeletal system, so you can keep up with your active lifestyle. Preventative orthopedic practices are essential in maintaining your overall health and preventing injuries before they occur. Learn more about how orthopedic practices like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and guidance from OrthoCarolina’s experienced orthopedic clinicians can help you stay off the sidelines.

Specialized Orthopedic Care for Sustainable Wellness

One of the primary benefits of receiving care at OrthoCarolina, is our highly specialized focus on orthopedic conditions. At OrthoCarolina’s clinics, management, holistic care, and non-operative treatment of symptoms is prioritized, and we focus solely on orthopedic health. Our award-winning clinicians and surgeons are specifically trained to evaluate and assess symptoms of orthopedic conditions and their high-caliber level of specialized experience provides our patients with the key to maintaining high-functioning, active lifestyles for the long run.

By working with the orthopedic specialists at OrthoCarolina, you’ll have access to:  

• Highly accurate imaging technology such as ultrasounds, MRIs, and X-rays
• In-depth physical assessments
• Solution focused conversations about your care management and guidance around stretching and other practices for preventative orthopedic care
• Ongoing management with a highly-specialized care team
• Several different kinds of orthopedic practitioners, including physical therapists and occupational therapists who can demonstrate and teach proper stretching in-person until you’re comfortable with stretching and management on your own
• Convenient and accessible advice and appointment management through our partnership with the Hurt! App, and access to walk-in appointments at our various Orthopedic Urgent Care clinics

Orthopedic specialists can evaluate your musculoskeletal system and identify any areas of weakness or imbalance that may put you at risk for injury. We work closely with our patients to make sure that everything related to their musculoskeletal systems is in top shape.

The Role of Orthopedic Health in an Active Lifestyle

The health and strength of your musculoskeletal system affects your entire body. And as any active adult or child knows from experience, that baseline wellness is essential to maintaining and improving upon your physical performance. 

In order to stay comfortably active and prevent injuries, your muscles, bones, tendons, and nerves should ideally be free of painful or irritating symptoms. At OrthoCarolina, we’re here to support and uplift you on your journey of staying active throughout all walks of life with guidance from high-caliber orthopedic specialists, development of management plans and exercise regimens tailored to your body and lifestyle, and access to a variety of non-operative and management-focused treatments to support your musculoskeletal system.

Incorporating proper stretches and preventative care into your routine before and after sports and activities, you can minimize the risk of injury and support a sustainable, active lifestyle. At OrthoCarolina, we prioritize full-body, sustainable health and our orthopedic specialists can provide professional guidance around stretching and preventative maintenance practices, so you can keep up your active lifestyle.

Management and Prevention with Orthopedic Specialists

Through a combination of diagnostic tests, physical exams, and imaging technology, orthopedic specialists can provide a comprehensive evaluation of your musculoskeletal health and develop a personalized plan to help you improve your overall function and performance.

Our highly-trained specialists can pinpoint symptoms and opportunities to strengthen areas of your body, so you avoid injuries in the future. After an evaluation from an orthopedic clinician at OrthoCarolina, you can assess areas to optimize, and get connected with a physical therapist or orthopedic therapist, who can help with strengthening exercises and management plans to decrease your risk for injury, and treat any minor symptoms you’re experiencing. 

Physical therapy. Physical therapy is one of the most common forms of ongoing, preventative orthopedic care and management. Physical therapy can help you improve your strength, flexibility, and balance, which can reduce your risk of developing injuries and improve your ability to perform physical activities. Additionally, physical therapy can be used to treat existing injuries or conditions and ensure a speedy recovery. OrthoCarolina is home to certified physical therapists at multiple of our clinic locations.

Occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is another form of orthopedic care that can help you maintain your independence and quality of life, and manage symptoms of orthopedic conditions. OrthoCarolina’s occupational therapists provide therapy for upper extremities at our Hand Center.

Through OrthoCarolina, you can take a proactive approach to the health of your entire body, and prevent injuries before they occur. Whether you're an athlete or simply want to stay active for the long haul, preventative orthopedic care can be the better choice to help you achieve your goals and maintain your independence and quality of life.

Tips for Preventing Injuries

After you’ve been evaluated by an orthopedic specialist at OrthoCarolina, and identified any areas of concern, you can work closely with our teams of skilled practitioners to manage and maintain the preventive practices tailored to your orthopedic needs. Some activities to integrate into your lifestyle, and will likely be a focus in physical therapy include: 

• Regular stretching
• Strength training 
• Proper rest and downtime outside of activities

Stretching for Injury Prevention

While most of us know that stretching is a good practice, understanding the specifics around this practice can help motivate both children and adults to consistently work stretching into their daily activities. It’s important to incorporate stretching even when your body is functioning perfectly fine and injuries aren’t on your mind. 

• Incorporating stretching exercises into your routine can improve:
• Flexibility
• Enhance range of motion
• Reduce muscle imbalances

Your orthopedic specialist or orthopedic physical therapist will likely recommend a routine for stretching major muscle groups, such as: 

• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Calves
• Hips
• Shoulders

Stretching is directly helpful for avoiding cramping and muscle tears, but it affects your entire body (even the parts you’re not stretching), because it keeps your musculoskeletal system running balanced and by helps  to avoid issues like overcompensating, incorrect form or posture, and unsafe movement that could cause injury due tightness or lack of preparation in an area of your body.

Strength Training for Injury Prevention

Building muscular strength helps support joint stability and reduces the risk of orthopedic injuries. Similar to stretching, this practice provides support for better overall performance in your chosen sport, various activities, and day-to-day lifestyle.

Strength training promotes balance throughout your entire body, so you’re not unintentionally overcompensating or overusing one muscle group or body part. A great example of utilizing strength training can be seen on any professional sports team. While soccer players don’t typically use their arms to play, you’d be hard pressed to find a professional soccer team that doesn’t incorporate arm-day in their exercise routine.

The sports medicine doctors at OrthoCarolina’s Sports Medicine Clinic work with professional athletics teams and competitive athletic programs throughout the state, so you can trust that your strength training and stretching advice is coming from specialists who know who to work with athletes, even at highly competitive levels. At OrthoCarolina, we bring the same kind of care to all of our patients, regardless of age or activity level. 

Incorporating Prevention Practices into Your Active Lifestyle

Getting into the practice of incorporating preventive methods into your lifestyle can be intimidating on your own, but our orthopedic clinics have everything you need to get the right care, guidance, and access to treatment when necessary. 

Making an appointment for an assessment with one of our orthopedic doctors is an excellent way to set out a highly specialized management plan that caters to your body, your activity type and level, and any specific needs that you have.

At OrthoCarolina, you’ll be supported by leading orthopedic specialists, and guided throughout your journey, so you can maintain a well-functioning body and keep up with all the activities that you enjoy, whether you’re a weekend warrior or out on the field or court practicing daily.