In addition to stretching and physical movement, Ohio physical therapists at OAZ have additional treatments such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound.

Electrical stimulation is a therapy that passes an electrical current to an affected area. Nerve conduction within the region is altered, which can in turn alter muscle contractility. Blood flow to these tissues is also increased with electrical stimulation. Patients often experience diminished pain after this electrical stimulation of treatment.

Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to stimulate the deep tissues within the body. By passing an ultrasound probe over your body, deep tissues are stimulated by the vibration of the sound wave. This leads to warming and increased blood flow to these tissues.

Ask the Ohio physical therapists at OAZ if these treatments can help you.

The Ohio orthopaedic physicians at OAZ treat may patients for foot pain. With over 26 bones, 33 joints, and 5 ligaments, it’s easy to understand how susceptible feet are to injury.

Here are four common causes:

• Plantar Fasciitis: This is one of the most common causes of foot pain. It results from irritation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, which runs across the bottom of your foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. Discomfort is more common in the morning after wakening.

• Metatarsalgia: This is a painful foot condition in the area just before the toes, or the ball-of-the-foot, or metatarsals. With prolonged jumping or running activities, an increased stress load is placed on this region. Over time the metatarsal bones become swollen and pain results.

• Turf Toe: A sprain at the base of the great toe can occur when the big toe bends back beyond its normal range of motion. This causes a tear in the ligaments that support it. Pain with turf toe is experienced during walking and running activities.

• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Tarsal tunnel syndrome occurs when the main nerve that goes to the foot is compressed by bone or tissue. Symptoms are typically felt on the inside of the foot region and are burning, tingling, and shooting in nature.

Physical therapy is often one of the main ways to treat the symptoms of foot pain. Contact the Ohio orthopaedic physicians at OAZ for an appointment if you experience any of these symptoms.

Dr. Steven Kimberly of Orthopaedic Associates in Zanesville recently shared with WHIZ-TV the benefits of partial knee replacement over total knee replacement.

Read the story and see great photos at www.whiznews.com/content/news/local/2010/03/04/partial-knee-replacement.

To learn more about partial knee replacement from Dr. Kimberly, Genesis is holding a presentation Monday, March 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Genesis-Bethesda Meeting Rooms 1,2 and 3. It is free to the public and there will a representative from Orthopaedic Associates on hand if residents would like to make an appointment to see Dr. Kimberly. To register, call (740) 455-4949.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville has one of the best Ohio’s sports medicine and orthopaedic teams to help with ACL tears.
If you’ve suffered at ACL tear, there’s a different type of reconstructive surgery to consider: the double bundle.

The ACL is comprised of two separate functional bundles of fascicles, not a single cord. But traditional ACL reconstruction treats the ligament as though it were a single construct, replicating one of the functional bundles but not the other.

The double-bundle ACL technique more closely replicates the normal anatomy of the ACL and could improve knee kinematics, resulting in more normal functioning and reducing the incidence of degenerative arthritis.

If you have questions about your options, be sure to ask Ohio’s sports medicine team at OAZ!

Troy Naftzger, PA-C, joined Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville in January 2010.

Troy began his career as a physician assistant in 2003 upon graduating from the Cuyahoga Community College. He later earned his Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska in 2007. A licensed physician assistant, he also has served as a treatment supervisor and physician assistant for the U.S. Army since 1994, where he has significant experience in emergency and routine medical care.

The team at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville welcomes Troy!

The Ohio physical therapists of Orthopaedic Associates will be at the Day of Dance at Colony Squire Mall on February 27, 2010, between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

The event, sponsored by Genesis Healthcare System, welcomes the community to learn simple ways to stay healthy, enjoy music and participate in health screenings.

The Ohio physical therapists of Orthopaedic Associates provide information on proper stretching exercises and how physical therapy can help your life.

The cutting-edge technology used by the orthopaedic surgeons at Ohio’s OAZ was featured by the Zanesville Times-Recorder in January!

Be sure to check out Dr. Karl Saunders and his staff discuss the modern diagnostic equipment including digital X-ray.

Becky Tilton, registered radiologic technologist at Orthopaedic Associates is quoted: “We are very fortunate that we have this updated technology. Patients feel that it is a faster procedure and doesn’t take as long. I love it because you can see much more on the digital radiology versus film.”

The team of orthopaedic surgeons at Ohio’s OAZ office agree this technology improves the patient experience.

OAZ’s Ohio physical therapists can guide you in physical therapy or special hand exercises to relieve mild to moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Gliding exercises: Moving your fingers in a specified pattern of exercises may help your tendons and nerves glide more smoothly through your carpal tunnel. While there’s some evidence that gliding exercises can help relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms when used alone, these exercises appear to work better in combination with other treatments — such as splinting.

• Contrast baths: Alternating between warm water and cold water soaks helps reduce carpal tunnel symptoms in some people.

To talk to OAZ’s Ohio physical therapists about carpal tunnel syndrome, make an appointment today.

As a parent it can be scary if your child suffers an injury, fracture, or broken bone. OAZ, an Ohio bone and joint clinic, can help make the situation less frightening.

Falls are a common part of childhood, but not every fall will result in a broken bone. The classic signs of a fracture are pain, swelling, and deformity. Some telltale signs that a bone is broken are:

• You or your child heard a snap or a grinding noise during the injury.
• There’s swelling, bruising, or tenderness around the injured part.
• It’s painful for your child to bear weight on the injury, touch it, press on it, or move it.
• The injured part looks deformed. In severe breaks, the broken bone may be poking through the skin.

If you suspect that your child has a fracture, seek medical care immediately. Your specialists at OAZ, an Ohio bone and joint clinic, will be ready to help.

OAZ’s Ohio orthopaedic surgeons agree knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure. However, knowing the right time for surgery can be difficult. Luckily there are options.

Knee replacement surgery is a procedure that is performed when the knee joint has reached a point when painful symptoms can no longer be controlled with non-operative treatments. In a knee replacement procedure, your surgeon removes the damaged joint surface and replaces it with a metal and plastic implant.

Partial knee replacement is a surgery that may be considered for appropriate patients for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Traditionally, patients have undergone total knee replacement for severe arthritis of the knee joint. In a total knee replacement, all cartilage is removed from the knee joint, and a metal and plastic implant is substituted. The partial knee replacement entails a smaller incision and faster recovery than traditional total joint replacement surgery.

To discuss your options, call OAZ’s Ohio orthopaedic surgeons today.