Ankle injuries send more than a million people to the emergency room every year. Many of those patients will be diagnosed with an ankle fracture, the most common type of fracture affecting the lower extremities.[1] And while broken ankles are often caused by trauma -- a car accident, athletic injury or a hard fall -- sometimes it only takes a misstep or a seemingly minor fall to fracture an ankle.[2]…

Arthritis is inflammation that causes pain and stiffness in any joint in the body. When arthritis affects the foot and ankle, the pain and discomfort can limit the patient’s ability to function in day-to-day activities. The good news: you don't have to live with this chronic pain.…

Orthopedic problems such as pain in the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, or back can lead to severe bone and joint problems that may cause long-term pain and inability to perform daily activities. The first line of defense for orthopedic problems include pain relievers and simple exercises. If, however, the problem doesn’t subside, it is a good idea to consult an experienced orthopedic surgeon, for which you can contact Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery – our patient navigator can connect you with a number of spine and orthopedic specialists in Plano who are on our medical staff. In this blog post, we share five simple exercises that help to keep orthopedic problems at bay. Take a look.…

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, it has a wide and versatile range of motion, and even a minor injury can cause a lot of discomfort in performing everyday activities. Being aware of the symptoms and causes of shoulder pain can help in early diagnosis and accurate treatment of the problem. At Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery we have several surgeons on our medical staff that offer treatment options for shoulder pain. In this blog post, we give an overview of the symptoms of shoulder pain and their causes.…

Skiing is a great sport with some amazing health benefits, but you have to be careful as it can also lead to some very serious injuries that can land you in a spine and orthopedic hospital. Several of the physicians on our medical staff treat various orthopedic related injuries and we want you to stay safe on your next ski trip. If you have been waiting for winter to arrive and to go on a ski vacation with friends and family, we advise you to follow a few safety tips that can help you avoid skiing injuries.…

Gardening is something many people love to do but, if you end up with an injury it can really take a toll on your body and your garden! Dr. James Walter, an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, shares his tips for keeping gardening fun and free from injury.…

If you find yourself saying, “Oh my nagging back!” … or … “I can’t take this neck pain anymore!”—and more conservative forms of treatment are no longer working—you may want to find a spine specialist nearby to discuss your back or neck surgery options. In order to get the most out of your appointment, why not come prepared with a list of questions? We asked Jessica Shellock, M.D., a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon with the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery, to share 10 essential questions to help you get started.…

We rely on our fingers to work normally for all kinds of everyday tasks, but those simple tasks can become painful and even impossible when patients develop trigger finger.…