On Thursday this week Leeds Chiropractor Alison Eaves spent the day at Smith and Nephew in York observing some of the country’s top orthopaedic surgeons talking on the subject of surgical options for sports injuries. It was a great opportunity to meet with orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists with a special interest in treatment of sports injuries and there were representatives from many of the local football and rugby league clubs present. I was the sole chiropractor at the event and so very lucky to have the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with such top professionals.
Observation of operations
Smith and Nephew have a top facility that allows observation of surgery on human cadavers (basically human body parts given for use in medical education and research). In this case the surgeons were performing mock-ups of arthroscopic surgical procedures : that is where one small incision is made and a camera inserted into the joint and another incision for where the surgical instruments are inserted. The entire procedure is carried out entirely within the joint with the help of a camera. This minimally invasive technique has the benefit of very small scars and quicker healing time for patients.
It was great to gain an appreciation of the techniques used and the sorts of conditions that can respond well to surgery. Whilst chiropractors have always advocated a drug free and surgery free approach there is no doubt in my mind that for some injuries where conservative treatment has failed there is a role for surgical intervention. For example if a portion of knee meniscus becomes torn it is generally poor at healing itself and often requires surgical repair or the patient will suffer from months and sometimes years of pain and reduced motion.
Alison Eaves is a chiropractor in Leeds and is based at Revive Chiropractic in north Leeds. Alison has an interest in all types of patient, not just sportspeople and to book an appointment call 07828 686026.
