Your musculoskeletal health is important, but not many people realize quite how important. In older adults, for example, the risk of death after a bone fracture is increased for ten years.
Then, bone and joint damage is something we all need to take seriously. While not everyone can easily afford medical bills, the benefits of having a bone injury properly seen to will always outweigh the financial costs involved.
Lots of our readers are asking, “When Should I See An Orthopedist?”. Read on as we look at the situations in which you should consider visiting an orthopedic doctor after an injury at work.
5 Reasons to See an Orthopedic Doctor After an Incident at Work
If you have had an accident at work, there are a number of advantages to seeing an orthopedic doctor rather than attempting to recover without any medical help.
1. Specialized Treatment
Orthopedic doctors are musculoskeletal specialists. That means that they are the doctors for whom everything to do with your bones, joints, muscles, and related tissue is part of their daily routine.
These are the parts of your body that allow you to physically go about your daily life. If something goes wrong with one of them, you want a properly qualified person looking after you.
We connect patients to the doctor in their area best suited to their needs. Our service is highly effective for those in need of specialized treatment, and it’s free.
2. Direct Access to Treatment
If you visit an orthopedic doctor, they can begin to assess and treat your issue as soon as they meet you.
This is clearly preferable to seeing a general practitioner, whether in an office or an emergency room. If you have an issue that’s even mildly serious, a GP will refer you to an orthopedic specialist.
That means that you’ll have wasted time and money getting to the place you would have ended up anyway.
3. Ongoing Pain
If you have pain arising from a work injury that won’t go away, you need to see an orthopedic doctor. Only a specialist can give you the treatment and guidance needed to address the problem.
Often, the pain will not just go away by itself. Given the chance, a small episode can become a major problem over months and even years. Something that seems insignificant at first could come to limit your mobility later in life.
4. Independent Medical Exam (IME)
Usually, when you file a claim for workers’ compensation claim following an injury at work, you’ll have to have an independent medical exam (IME).
IME doctors usually perform these exams. These “independent” doctors are generally hired by the insurance companies to minimize the extent of your injuries to undermine the finding of your treating physician. If an experienced orthopedist is treating you with a good reputation among his or her peers, it will be difficult for the IME doctors to dispute their medical findings.
5. Filing Your Claim
Sustaining an injury at work can be stressful enough in itself, without the added burden of completing complicated paperwork without any help.
Experienced orthopedic doctors know all about the specifics of filing a worker’s comp claims, and are happy to help patients through the process.
Should I See an Orthopedic Doctor?
Not every mobility issue requires a trip to the orthopedic doctor. However, if you have any concerns, it may be in your best interest to make an appointment.
Call (888) 590-4030 now to make an appointment with an experienced orthopedist near you that accepts workers’ compensation.