There’s a lot of talk about stem cells, orthobiologics and regenerative medicine in orthopedics. Can they naturally heal tissues and pain? We invite you to join sports medicine physician Dr. Matthew Negaard for a free breakfast and a discussion on evidence-based and practical approaches to stem cells, orthobiologics and regenerative medicine.
This seminar is open to the general public.
AGENDA
WHEN
Saturday, January 6, 2024 | 9 - 10:30 am
WHERE
Orthopedic Center of Excellence
10767 Illinois St. Suite A2800, Carmel, IN 46033
Free parking is available in the attached garage.
REGISTER NOW
For Eva Cheung, standing at the Boston Marathon starting line was one of those “pinch me” moments.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d qualify for Boston,” says Cheung. “I was really, really excited.”
Unfortunately, qualifying wasn’t the only hurdle Cheung had to overcome on her way to completing the race. While training for Boston, she experienced nagging pain in her left leg.
“I told my coach about it, and he recommended I reach out to Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics,” she says.
Specialized Orthopedic Urgent Care
Cheung took advantage of Forté Fast Orthopedic Care, an orthopedic urgent care offering walk-in access for recent bone, muscle, joint and sports medicine injuries. With three locations in Carmel, Noblesville and Greenwood, Forté Fast helps patients with the crucial first steps of any injury – obtaining a correct diagnosis and jumpstarting a treatment plan to get them back to the activities they enjoy.
While Forté Fast accepts walk-ins, Cheung made an appointment to ensure she could see a physician who specialized in her specific needs.
“She had quite a bit of pain and discomfort that we couldn’t reproduce during the exam by touching the muscles and soft tissue,” says Dr. Matthew Negaard, an emergency medicine and fellowship-trained sports medicine physician who serves as the medical director of Forté Fast. “That raises a red flag that the bone could be involved, even when the X-ray looks normal.”
Cheung was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her femur – the upper thigh bone.
“The risk of continuing to do activities through a stress fracture is that it can lead to a complete fracture, requiring surgery and several months of rest,” says Negaard. “We try to educate our patients on taking some stress off the bone for a shorter period of time to allow it to heal and then build back up.”
Same-Day Services, Including Unique Rehab Options
Facing the possibility of catastrophic injury, the Boston Marathon could have been out of the cards for Cheung, but Negaard and the team at Forté Fast gave her the best chance of healing and reaching her goal.
Forté Fast provides patients with various same-day services based on their individual needs, including expert-level musculoskeletal evaluation, rehab, imaging, medical supplies and more. Its unique rehab options, such as an anti-gravity treadmill and underwater treadmill, allow patients with a stress fracture, like Cheung, to continue to run and keep up their cardiovascular fitness while protecting the healing bone.
“The rehab process for stress fractures can vary depending on what the person is trying to get back to and what their particular injury is,” says Negaard. “In general, it’s a period of rest and recovery, but we emphasize to our patients that they can continue to cross-train while we allow the bone to heal.”
Advancing from Injury to the Starting Line
The creativity and personalization of Cheung’s rehab process kept her active and ultimately enabled her to reach the Boston starting line.
“I kept thinking, I can’t believe I’m here,” says Cheung.
“I’m so grateful for Forté because they’re so knowledgeable,” she adds. “They listen and know what your goals are. And they will get you to the point where you can reach your goals.”
For more information about Forté Fast Orthopedic Care, including walk-in hours for all locations, visit forteortho.com.
Forté Fast Orthopedic Care’s patient volume is up 52% in the first half of 2023
CARMEL, Ind. – More patients are turning to Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a Carmel-based, physician-owned practice recognized as one of the region’s most respected orthopedic and sports medicine groups, for specialized walk-in orthopedic urgent care. In the first half of 2023, Forté Fast Orthopedic Care clinics saw 52% more patients compared to the first six months of 2022.
With three clinics in Carmel, Greenwood and Noblesville, Forté Fast addresses the injuries that occur while performing daily activities and prevent people from going about their regular schedule. When unexpected accidents arise, obtaining a correct diagnosis and implementing an immediate treatment plan are crucial first steps for a better, faster recovery.
Forté Fast provides walk-in access for acute issues, such as broken bones, sprains, fractures and dislocations. Patients receive same-day services based on their individual needs, including a musculoskeletal evaluation from a fellowship-trained physician, rehab, imaging, bracing, medical supplies and more.
“Receiving expert-level care at Forté Fast helps the overall recovery process by giving patients the opportunity to start healing faster,” said Dr. Matthew Negaard, an emergency medicine and fellowship-trained sports medicine physician and medical director at Forté Fast. “Whether you need X-rays, bracing or physical therapy, we have all the services you need under one roof.”
Since January 2022, Forté Fast has seen a steady rise in patient volume. In the first six months of 2023, 1,912 patients utilized the practice’s same-day services across all clinics, up from 1,255 patients in the first six months of 2022. This trend puts Forté Fast on track to increase patient visits by more than 50% year over year.
One patient, Barbara, who chose to be identified only by her first name, sought Forté Fast care when she tripped and landed on her knees. The fall generated such excruciating pain that she couldn’t walk without crutches.
“I hobbled my way into the Forté Fast walk-in clinic and was seen right away,” said Barbara. “They did X-rays, found a hairline crack in the kneecap and started physical therapy immediately. In just six weeks, I was pain-free and a proud PT graduate, thanks to the orthopedic walk-in care at Forté.”
While walk-ins are welcome, in some cases, it’s best to make an appointment directly with a Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics physician who specializes in a patient’s specific needs. For more information, visit forteortho.com or call 317.817.1200.
About Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, previously known as Methodist Sports Medicine, is an independent, physician-owned orthopedic practice recognized as one of the region’s most respected orthopedic groups. Founded in 1983 as one of the country’s original sports medicine practices, Forté’s physicians and staff provide comprehensive, specialized sports medicine and orthopedic care to patients of all ages.
Clinical evaluations performed by highly skilled fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, combined with advanced surgical techniques and comprehensive non-surgical treatment options, provide patients with exceptional treatment outcomes and a return to active living. Forté provides patients with expert orthopedic care in several sub-specialties, including hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder; foot and ankle; hip and knee; joint replacement and revision; spine care and sports medicine. Forté has been trusted by the Indianapolis Colts as their team physicians since 1983 and serves as the orthopedic provider for Purdue University, Butler University, Indiana State University, and numerous high schools and public safety departments throughout central Indiana.
Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics also innovates daily through a separate 501(c)(3), Forté Orthopedic Research Institute, that improves the lives of patients everywhere through advanced clinical research and education.
Shockwave Therapy for Tendon Pain
Overuse or sudden stress on a tendon can cause pain and swelling that interferes with your daily life. It’s common for the pain to worsen as you move, which can restrict your ability to participate in activities you enjoy, from sports to hobbies such as gardening.
Unfortunately, tendon pain can also be complicated to resolve. It doesn’t always respond to traditional treatment options, such as physical therapy, oral medications and modifications to physical activity.
When other options fail, your physician may suggest shockwave therapy, also known as extracorporeal shockwave therapy or ESWT, to help heal your injury. Shockwave therapy transmits low-energy sound waves to the tendon or soft tissue that’s causing you pain.
“It works by desensitizing the tendon and helping it remodel and heal,” says Dr. Michael Del Busto, a rehabilitation and sports medicine physician at Forté specializing in shockwave therapy and other minimally invasive procedures. “The hope is that patients will experience a long-term benefit.”
Benefit: Helps heal nagging injuries
One of the biggest draws to shockwave therapy is its ability to help heal chronic, nagging injuries.
As shockwaves pass through the skin, they increase blood flow to the injured area. This speeds up the body’s natural healing process and is often helpful in resolving issues that patients have been dealing with for weeks, months or even years.
Benefit: Non-surgical procedure with little-to-no downtime
Additional benefits of shockwave therapy include being an outpatient procedure with minimal downtime. While healing from surgery can take weeks, the non-invasive nature of shockwave therapy means patients can return to work immediately, as long as they don’t engage in strenuous activities or high-impact exercise for the first 48 hours after the procedure.
“You’re a good candidate for shockwave therapy if you need to take the next step in treatment but want to avoid something invasive and don’t want any downtime for your sport or lifestyle,” says Del Busto.
What to expect from your treatments
Shockwave therapy typically takes about 5-10 minutes per treatment, with an average of three treatment sessions each scheduled a week apart. A physician will put ultrasound gel on the injured area and then use a hand-held device, like an ultrasound wand, over the gel.
“Most people experience mild pain or discomfort during the procedure, which we can help manage by changing the device settings,” says Del Busto. “Even if patients have some discomfort during treatment, they often walk away feeling better.”
Following the procedure, patients may experience mild side effects, such as pain, redness, bruising, swelling and numbness in the affected area. These issues typically resolve within a week and can be managed with over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen.
Watch below to learn more from Drs. Matthew Negaard and Michael Del Busto about shockwave therapy
Is shockwave therapy right for you?
The team at Forté is specially trained to offer shockwave therapy as a non-surgical option for safely treating your tendon pain. To learn more about shockwave therapy and decide whether it’s right for you, request an appointment online or call 317.817.1200.
If you are struggling to find relief for your joint pain after physical therapy and/or medications, you might be considering joint injections as your next step. Cortisone injections are a common procedure with the goal of reducing pain in damaged joints. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections and other orthobiologic injections are gaining popularity in sports medicine and orthopedics. Let’s break down the differences and how to determine what’s best for you when it comes to these two non-operative treatment options.
What is a Cortisone Injection?
Traditionally a more common and well-known approach, cortisone injections are used by orthopedic specialists at Forté to treat a wide variety of conditions. Derived from a type of steroid called corticosteroids that became popular because of their strong anti-inflammatory properties and instant pain relief, cortisone injections are most commonly used in our joints to reduce inflammation and pain and get people back to their everyday activities. Better suited for a short-term solution, cortisone injections act as more of a band-aid to the underlying issue and require close monitoring, as frequent usage can cause tissue damage and unwanted side effects. While the injection helps reduce pain, it typically doesn’t cure the underlying problem that is causing the inflammation.
What is a Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection?
PRP injections involve the process of using the properties in your blood through a blood draw followed by a machine that separates the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood.
After numbing the problematic area, a Forte specialist will use a needle to inject your PRP into the targeted area. After an initial period of an increase in pain, the goal of the injection is prolonged pain and anti-inflammatory relief for things like arthritis-related pain In addition to soft tissue Injuries (tendon, ligament, muscle). Because this method uses your own blood, PRP injections help promote your own body’s response to pain and injured tissues.
Which Option Is Right for Me?
When there are many different treatment options available, it can be difficult to navigate the path to finding relief from your pain. Our orthopedic and sports medicine specialists can help guide you through the risks, benefits and alternative options to help you get back to living the life you want.
Our very own Dr. Matthew Negaard specializes in ultrasound-guided injections, PRP treatments, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. Request an appointment HERE or call at 317.817.1200.
Orthobiologic treatments have not been authorized by the FDA and are considered experimental by the FDA.
If you turn to Google for quick and easy ways to treat arthritis pain, you’ll likely find suggestions like:
Or the common “RICE method”: rest, ice, compression and elevation.
All are good treatment options. But sometimes, pain caused by arthritis needs elevated solutions beyond the RICE fix that are still considered non-operative treatment options. Orthobiologic injections fall under this category.
What Are Orthobiologic Injections?
Orthobiologics are innate tissue-derived products that a trained physician may use to aid in pain reduction and function restoration and potentially avoid or delay major procedures. The orthobiologic substances consist of cells, proteins, glycoproteins and other substances that are naturally found in the body.
What Conditions Are Orthobiologics Used to Treat?
There are a variety of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions that orthobiologics are being used to treat, such as mild-to-moderate arthritis.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection is made from your own blood. Blood is drawn and then prepared by spinning in a centrifuge where the platelets with proteins with anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects are separated. The platelets are injected back into your arthritic area. This procedure is performed by Forté specialists.
Other Treatment Options for Arthritis
There are several different treatment options for osteoarthritis. Some of the more beneficial treatments can be lifestyle modifications including weight loss, dietary changes and implementing an exercise routine. Physical therapy, topical or oral NSAIDs (naproxen, acetaminophen) and bracing are also often used. There are also other injection options. The most common type of injection is a corticosteroid injection, often referred to as a “cortisone” injection.
If non-surgical treatment options have failed, learn more about our joint replacement program at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Orthobiologic treatments have not been authorized by the FDA and are considered experimental by the FDA.
Looking for Relief?
Request an appointment with a Forté orthopedic physician to learn what treatment options are right for you.
Random injuries that occur while performing daily activities and prevent us from going about our regular schedule are, unfortunately, not all that uncommon. One of our patients, Barbara, suffered from a recent injury when she tripped and landed on her knees. This fall generated such excruciating pain that she couldn't walk without crutches.
“The next morning,” Barbara recounts, “I hobbled my way into the Forté Fast Orthopedic Care walk-in clinic and was seen right away. They did X-rays, found a hairline crack in the kneecap (patella fracture) and started physical therapy immediately. In just six weeks, I was a pain-free and proud PT graduate, thanks to the orthopedic walk-in care at Forté!”
When unexpected accidents arise, immediately obtaining a correct diagnosis in order to rapidly implement a treatment plan—whatever that looks like—is a crucial first step. One of the many benefits of a same-day appointment is that it assists in the overall recovery by expediting the healing process. By offering this level of orthopedic urgent care at Forté Fast, patients like Barbara are able to experience a one-stop-shop perk when an injury occurs. Taking advantage of an orthopedic walk-in appointment, she was seen by an orthopedic physician, got x-rays, was diagnosed and set up with a physical therapist—all in the same building! Her experience with Forté Fast completely affected her recovery process for the better.
Forté Fast Orthopedic Care is designed to provide immediate access for acute issues, such as a broken bone, sprain, fracture, dislocation and more. We offer same-day convenient services depending on your individual needs, including expert-level orthopedic evaluation, rehab, imaging, medical supplies and more. By offering same-day access to a specialist, we give patients the opportunity to start feeling better, faster. We focus on getting people back to full mobility and comfort under expert-level care.
Staying fit and active is an important part of maintaining our overall health, Dr. Matthew Negaard, Sports Medicine Physician and Emergency Medicine Physician of Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics emphasizes. In fact, exercise allows us to:
But aren't arthritic patients advised to avoid putting too much stress on their joints?
Yes, Negaard answers, but there are many forms of exercise that are low-impact, including biking, swimming, water aerobics, walking on the treadmill or elliptical, rowing and yoga. Most studies suggest, he adds, that even running does not appear to accelerate the progress of osteoarthritis, so long as you allow adequate rest between runs.
Low-impact training provides all the cardiovascular benefits of exercise without placing stress on your joints, assisting in active recovery and improving blood flow and circulation to the muscles, the American College of Sports Medicine explains. What's more, the benefits are not limited to the physical - one important result of exercise is the management of anxiety and depression. "Every adult should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week, the CDC recommends.
For those with arthritis, low-impact activity is encouraged. If pain or injury is holding you back from regular activity, let the experts at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics help. Request an appointment now.
Our Forté Fast orthopedic urgent care clinic in our Noblesville location will close at 12:00 pm on Friday, April 26th.
