Wellstar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Your favorite activities make everyday life your own, and bone or joint pain can keep you sidelined. At Wellstar, our skilled and caring team is ready to help you find relief and get back to life with less pain and more freedom.
Orthopedic specialists here offer complete care for all types of bone, joint and soft tissue injuries and conditions. From diagnosis and treatment through rehabilitation and recovery, we’ve got your back.
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Surgery, Physical Therapy or Injection? An Orthopedic Evaluation Helps Make the Call
How do I know it’s time to see an orthopedist?
Your first stop for joint pain may be your primary care provider or an urgent care center. They may suggest rest, using ice or heat, or taking anti-inflammatory medications. They may also refer you to an orthopedic specialist. It’s wise to see an orthopedic specialist when:- Rest or initial treatment isn’t lessening the pain
- You feel numbness, tingling or weakness
- You’ve been injured at work, in an accident or while playing a sport
- Your ability to move is limited
- You had a previous injury in the affected area
- Pain has lasted more than a few weeks or is interfering with sleep
What to expect at an orthopedic exam
An orthopedic exam starts with a medical history, including medications, past surgeries and any health conditions. Your provider will then zero in on what’s causing your pain, asking questions such as:- When did the pain start?
- Were you injured?
- What activities make the pain worse?
- What have you been doing to relieve the pain?
Next your provider will do a physical exam, checking for pain, tenderness, strength and range of motion, and may refer you for an imaging test, such as an X-ray or MRI. This helps determine whether the pain is from structural damage, such as a break or sprain, or from a condition like arthritis, bursitis or tendonitis. With a diagnosis in hand, your provider will discuss a treatment plan with you. Sometimes patients assume a visit to an orthopedist will put them on the fast track to the operating room. Not so, said Dr. Burns. Most orthopedic care starts with nonsurgical options, such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory treatments and injections. Physical therapy can improve strength, flexibility and joint function, and in many cases, it can relieve pain without the need for surgical intervention. Surgery is a possible next step if those therapies fail or there is structural damage.
The risks of treating joint pain without an orthopedic evaluation
According to Dr. Burns it’s best not to put off getting an orthopedic evaluation and possibly second opinions. Misdiagnosis or starting the wrong treatment can delay healing and make underlying conditions worse. Some patients who do their own research find a variety of options not supported by medical evidence. Those include cannabis-based (CBD) creams and stem cell treatments. CBD can provide “a nice, moderate amount of relief,” said Dr. Burns. “Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is that those products help at first, but then less and less.” Stem cells are in a class of biological treatments that are not FDA-approved for any orthopedic condition, such as arthritis or tendon injury. Treatments that are marketed as “stem cell therapy” typically use concentrated bone marrow aspirate, which contains very few true stem cells. Patients should ask their care team about stem cell therapies so that they can be properly educated and protect themselves before purchasing these expensive therapies.Start with expert orthopedic care at Wellstar
Our orthopedic specialists deliver evidence-based care and personalized treatment plans. Wellstar patients have access to:- Orthopedic specialists
- OrthoXpress for same-day urgent care
- Physical therapy
- State-of-the-art imaging
- Total joint care
To make an appointment, find a location near you.
Highlights
County Salutes Wellstar Paulding Nurses at Start of Nurses Week
Paulding County Commission Chairman Tim Estes presented a proclamation on May 4 recognizing the nursing staff at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center, marking the start of National Nurses Week and celebrating the hospital’s recent achievement of Magnet® Recognition with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The designation is the highest national honor for nursing excellence and recognizes sustained performance in patient outcomes, leadership and professional practice.
“Our nurses play a critical role in the health of this community,” Chairman Estes said. “Magnet Recognition with Distinction reinforces the professionalism and consistency the Wellstar Paulding nursing team brings to patient care every day.”
“This redesignation is a testament to our nurses and their unwavering dedication to patient‑centered care,” said Shawn Bishop, vice president and chief nursing officer at Wellstar Paulding. “Their professionalism, teamwork and commitment to excellence are reflected in the high-quality care they deliver to our patients and community every day.”
Kimberly Knotts, director of professional practice and Magnet program director, said the recognition highlights the strength of the hospital’s nursing culture.
“Magnet with Distinction affirms the disciplined work, collaboration and pride our nurses bring to advancing practice and improving outcomes,” Knotts said. “This honor belongs to every nurse who contributes to our mission of compassionate, top-notch care.”
Highlights
Genetic Testing: A Critical Tool in Cancer Treatment
It's been over three decades since genetic testing was first introduced as a tool for patients at risk of hereditary cancer syndromes. In its early days, genetic testing was expensive and time-consuming (often taking up to eight weeks for results). Fast forward to today and genetic testing is now a routine part of cancer care. It’s more accessible, comprehensive and, perhaps most importantly, significantly impactful for patients and their families.
Physicians help identify patients who could benefit from genetic testing, especially when someone has a personal or family history of cancer. Genetic testing can improve treatment outcomes, guide preventive care and provide vital information for the patient's family.
Benefits of genetic testing
1. Understanding the cause of cancer
One of the most common questions from patients newly diagnosed with cancer is, "Why did this happen to me?" While many cancers are the result of environmental factors, aging and sporadic mutations, genetic testing can offer a more definitive answer. For patients with hereditary cancer, knowing their cancer is genetically driven can help ease feelings of uncertainty and guilt.
For many, this knowledge brings a sense of empowerment, as they now have the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding their treatment and potential preventive measures for the future. This hereditary cancer risk was present since birth, and there was very little if anything the patient could have done differently throughout their life to prevent their diagnosis.
2. Personalized treatment options
For patients with cancers like breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate, identifying genetic mutations (like BRCA mutations) can open the door to personalized therapies. The earlier in the diagnostic process the genetic test is ordered, the quicker the patient can be matched with appropriate treatments.
Knowledge of genetic mutations can also guide surgical decisions. Patients with BRCA-positive breast cancer may be candidates for risk-reducing mastectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy—both of which can lower the risk of future cancers. These decisions are most effective when genetic results are available before surgery.
3. Identification of additional cancer risks
Cancer does not always occur in isolation, especially in patients with hereditary cancer syndromes. For instance, patients with Lynch syndrome, a leading cause of colorectal cancer, are also at increased risk for uterine cancer—up to 60%. If identified before a colon resection, this knowledge could allow a hysterectomy at the same time if necessary, minimizing the risk of a second cancer and optimizing care.
Beyond immediate cancer treatment, genetic testing can also lead to additional screenings that might otherwise be missed. For example, the ATM gene is a known contributor to prostate and breast cancer. But patients with an ATM gene mutation are also at elevated risk for pancreatic cancer. While general population screening is not typically recommended, high-risk patients should begin annual imaging and/or endoscopic ultrasounds as early as age 50 or 10 years before the earliest known pancreatic cancer in their family.
4. Informed decisions for family members
A cancer diagnosis doesn’t only affect the patient—it impacts their entire family. Once a genetic mutation is identified, relatives can undergo testing to assess their own cancer risk and talk to their care teams about screenings.
Testing the affected patient first is the most informative strategy for relatives. Patients with negative genetic test results can be reassured that relatives are not at significant risk for the same diagnosis.
The role of genetic counseling in cancer care
Genetic counselors provide the expertise necessary to interpret complex genetic results, discuss the implications for patients and their families, and offer psychological support throughout the process. Genetic counseling not only helps patients make sense of their genetic test results, but also provides them with the tools to make informed decisions about their health.
Counseling also helps address the emotional and psychological aspects of genetic testing, from potential feelings of anxiety to guilt and even empowerment. Research shows that genetic counseling has a positive impact on patient knowledge, reduces anxiety and can improve overall psychological well-being during a cancer journey.