The very nature of athletic activities, from intensive training to the stress of competition, puts you at risk of sustaining an injury. If you want to prevent musculoskeletal problems and return to play as quickly as possible following an injury, you need a sports medicine specialist. As an orthopedic surgeon...
Osteoarthritis tends to sneak up on you. At first, your joint may feel achy when you’re active, but the discomfort goes away so you don’t worry. Then you might feel a sharp pain, and suddenly one day you realize the pain occurs more often and lasts longer. And sometimes it’s...
When bones fracture, they don’t always have a straight break and two clean pieces. Bones break in different ways, creating different types of fractures. The type of fracture you experience affects your speed of healing and determines the treatment you need. Though Andrew B. Richardson, MD, immobilizes all fractures to...
Surgery repairs injuries and medications kill bacteria, replace hormones, and affect cellular activity. But nothing in the medical world can beat your body’s natural healing ability, a job it accomplishes with highly specialized cells like the platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Andrew B. Richardson, MD, has extensive experience using PRP...
Recovering from knee replacement surgery combines self-care and rest with the movement and exercise you need to stay healthy and ensure your best recovery. Though each person’s recovery proceeds at a different pace, everyone can depend on individualized attention each step of the way when Andrew B. Richardson, MD, performs...
If you try to find the answer online, chances are you still won’t be sure if there’s a difference between arthroplasty and a joint replacement. Some websites say arthroplasty is a total joint replacement, but they leave you wondering if that includes a partial joint replacement; a few sources hint...
Over the course of their lifetime, 29% of women and 19% of men will develop hip osteoarthritis, and it’s not just a problem associated with old age. Some of them won’t make it to retirement before feeling hip pain: 9% of adults age 45 and older have symptomatic hip osteoarthritis....
By the time you’re diagnosed with arthritis, you’ve already noticed the changes in your daily life. You may have limited or even stopped doing the activities you enjoy. Maybe you’ve noticed the drain on your energy, or frequent pain has become a roadblock to enjoying life. Once you know that...
Sports medicine is what you imagine — an area of medicine focused on treating injuries caused by athletic activities — but it’s also much more. Following an injury, sports medicine physicians have one goal: to get you back in action as quickly as possible by restoring optimum function and strength....
When advanced arthritis or a severe injury extensively damages the structures in your knee, you have only one treatment option, and that’s to replace the joint. When you face that decision, it helps to know that a knee replacement does an exceptional job of reducing your pain. In fact, 90%...
Between sports injuries, repetitive stress, and degenerative conditions, hip pain affects people of all ages. Orthopedic specialist Andrew B. Richardson, MD, has years of experience helping people overcome hip pain. We create tailored treatments ranging from conservative medicine and physical therapy to regenerative medicine and advanced surgery. No matter what...
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy works for one simple reason. It uses your body’s natural regenerative ability to heal damaged tissues. No matter what problem causes your pain — whether it’s a sports injury, chronic back pain, arthritis, or an inflammatory condition like tendonitis — the platelets in PRP relieve your...
The signs of tendonitis sneak up on you. They’re often mild at first and begin as an ache. Then they gradually get worse, coming and going, until the damage is so severe, you’re in for months of a painful recovery. Andrew B. Richardson, MD, offers a full range of treatments...
When you decide to have joint replacement surgery, you dream of putting your pain and movement limitations behind you and returning to an active lifestyle. You can count on reaching that goal — but only with the help of physical therapy and rehabilitation. Andrew B. Richardson, MD, is a skilled...
Though it’s important to move after joint replacement surgery, you can expect to experience pain and you’ll have specific restrictions on the extent of your movement. To ensure that you can relax and recover in a safe environment, Andrew B. Richardson, MD, offers these tips for preparing your home before...
Of all organized sports, basketball, football, soccer, and baseball cause the most injuries. But you’re just as likely to suffer an injury while exercising, cycling, and swimming, and more people are injured on playground equipment and ATVs than playing hockey. The fact is that anyone who’s active is at risk...
Exercise, physical therapy, and muscle strengthening form the cornerstones of arthritis therapy. They’re so important that medical experts from organizations like the American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation recommend that exercise should be a mainstay of arthritis treatment. Here at Andrew B. Richardson, MD, we create arthritis management...
Not long ago, all joint replacements were done as an inpatient procedure that often required weeks in the hospital. Today, advanced minimally invasive procedures and enhanced pain management techniques allow you to be on your feet and walking out the door the same day. Many patients who need joint replacement...
The ideal treatment for a fracture depends on factors that are unique for each person. The type, severity, and location of your fracture immediately determine the treatment path that’s best for you. When caring for a fracture, Andrew B. Richardson, MD, never takes a one-size-fits-all approach. However, fracture management incorporates...
Hip pain takes many forms and arises from several different conditions. You can even end up with hip pain due to a problem in your back. Andrew B. Richardson, MD, has extensive experience getting to the source of your hip pain and creating customized treatment that gets you back into...
Whether you’re scheduled for a knee replacement or a hip replacement, you may worry about your recovery and when you can return to your normal activities. While Andrew B. Richardson, MD, gives you an estimate, your total recovery time depends on several variables that you control. These are the top...
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy can help many patients find relief from the pain and stiffness caused by arthritis, often resulting in improved joint function. Currently to date, there are no studies demonstrating restoration or healing of cartilage loss. One small study suggests that the rate of cartilage degeneration may slow...
Are you experiencing significant hip pain and think you’re too young for a hip replacement? While hip replacements were once reserved for the elderly, these procedures are becoming commonplace in men and women as young as age 50 and not uncommon in patients as young as age 40. If conservative...