Identify Your Condition

Education information from Panorama, your Denver Orthopedic Clinic

Our goal at Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center is to provide you with the best orthopedic care possible, and that starts with you understanding your medical condition. We have compiled information on hundreds of the most common orthopedic conditions for you to learn more about so that you are better able to communicate with your physician and participate in your care at your Denver orthopedic clinic. Working together, we can help you feel better so you can do more.
 

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Female

SHOULDER

  • Rotator cuff tear
    • Pain at rest and at night, particularly if lying on affected shoulder
    • Pain when lifting and lowering arm, or with specific movements
    • Weakness when lifting or rotating arm
    • Crackling sensation when moving shoulder in certain positions
  • Arthritis
    • Pain that is aggravated by activity, progressively worsens
    • Pain may intensify with changes in weather
    • Limited motion
    • Difficulty lifting arm
    • Clicking or snapping sound when moving shoulder
    • Pain at night and difficulty sleeping
  • Shoulder Dislocation
    • Swelling
    • Numbness
    • Weakness
    • Bruising
    • Possible muscle spasms
  • Chronic Shoulder Instability
    • Pain caused by shoulder injury
    • Repeated shoulder dislocations
    • Repeated instances of shoulder giving out
    • Persistent sensation of shoulder feeling loose, slipping in and out of the joint, or just "hanging there"
  • Shoulder Impingement
    • Swelling and tenderness in front of shoulder
    • Pain and stiffness when lifting or lowering arm
    • Minor pain both with activity and at rest
    • Pain radiating from front of shoulder to side of arm
    • Sudden pain with lifting and reaching movements
    • Pain at night
    • Loss of strength and motion
    • Difficulty doing activities that place arm behind back
  • Bicep Tendon Tear at Shoulder
    • Sudden, sharp pain in the upper arm
    • Sometimes an audible pop or snap
    • Cramping of biceps muscle with strenuous use of arm
    • Bruising from middle of upper arm down toward elbow
    • Pain or tenderness at shoulder and elbow
    • Weakness in shoulder and elbow
    • Difficulty turning arm palm up or palm down
    • Bulge in upper arm above elbow, with dent closer to shoulder

ELBOW

WRIST

  • Scaphoid Fracture of Wrist (Broken wrist bone under thumb)
    • Wrist pain that persists for more than a day may indicate a fracture
    • Pain and swelling at base of thumb
    • Pain may be severe when thumb or wrist is moved, or when gripping an object
  • Ganglion of Wrist (Wrist cyst)
    • Lump that grows on top of wrist or on underside of wrist between thumb and pulse point, at end joint of a finger, or at base of a finger
    • Lump grows out of a joint and is filled with a thick, slippery fluid
    • Cyst may be painful, especially if it remains hidden under skin
    • Cyst becomes larger with increased wrist activity
  • De Quervain's Tendinitis (Swollen tendons at base of thumb)
    • Pain and swelling may be present over thumb side of wrist, may make it difficult to move thumb and wrist
    • Pain may appear either gradually or suddenly
    • Pain is felt in wrist and can travel up forearm
    • Pain is usually worse when hand and thumb are in use, especially with forceful grasping or twisting of wrist
    • Fluid-filled cyst over thumb side of wrist may accompany swelling
    • A "catching" or "snapping" sensation may be felt when moving thumb
    • Numbness may be experienced on back of thumb and index finger
  • Arthritis (Joint pain and inflammation)
    • Swelling in wrist
    • Pain
    • Limited motion
    • Weakness in wrist joint
    • Potential pain, swelling and stiffness in knuckle joints of hand
  • Wrist Sprain (Stretched or torn wrist ligament)
    • Swelling in wrist
    • Pain at time of injury
    • Persistent pain when wrist is moved
    • Bruising or discoloration of skin around wrist
    • Tenderness at injury site
    • A feeling of popping or tearing inside wrist
    • A warm or feverish feeling to skin around wrist

CERVICAL

  • Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched nerve)
    • Neck pain radiates into shoulder and arm
    • “Sharp” pain travels down arm
    • Numbness or "pins and needles" sensation in arm
    • Feeling of weakness with certain activities
    • Extending or straining neck or turning head increases pain
    • Some pain relief when hand placed on head and shoulder stretched
  • Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis of the neck)
    • Neck pain and stiffness, which may worsen with activity
    • Numbness and weakness in arms, hands and fingers
    • Trouble walking, loss of balance or weakness in hands or legs
    • Muscle spasms in neck and shoulders
    • Headaches
    • Grinding and popping sound/feeling in neck with movement
    • Pain may worsen when looking up or down for a long time, or with certain activities
    • Pain may improve with rest or lying down
  • Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (Spinal cord compression)
    • Tingling and numbness
    • Weakness that makes it difficult to lift or hold objects
    • Difficulty walking, loss of balance, wide-based gait
    • Coordination problems/clumsiness making it difficult to write, button clothes, feed oneself
    • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Neck Sprain (Stretched or torn neck ligament)
    • Pain, especially in back of neck, that worsens with movement
    • Pain that peaks a day or so after injury
    • Muscle spasms and pain in upper shoulder
    • Headache in back of head
    • Sore throat
    • Increased irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping and concentrating
    • Numbness in arm or hand
    • Neck stiffness or decreased range of motion (side to side, up and down, circular)
    • Tingling or weakness in arms
  • Cervical Fracture (Broken neck)
    • Severe neck pain, usually resulting from high-energy trauma, such as automobile crashes or falls
    • Pain may spread from neck to shoulders or arms
    • Bruising and swelling at back of neck may occur
    • May experience shock
    • Injury can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis
  • Herniated Disk (Slipped or ruptured disk)
    • Low back pain resulting from a fall or a blow to the back
    • A sharp, often shooting pain that extends from buttocks down back of one leg
    • Weakness in one leg or one arm
    • Tingling,  "pins-and-needles" sensation, or numbness in one leg or buttock or in one arm
    • Loss of bladder or bowel control
    • A burning pain centered in neck, shoulders, or arm
    • Pain in muscles between neck and shoulder that may shoot down arm
    • Pain may cause headaches in back of head

HIP

  • Osteoarthritis (“Wear and tear” hip arthritis)
    • Discomfort and stiffness in groin, buttock or thigh upon waking
    • Pain flares with activity, improves with rest
    • Pain increases over time until rest no longer helps
    • Hip joint gets stiff and inflamed
    • Bone spurs might build up at edges of joint
    • Movement eventually becomes painful
    • Possible inability to rotate, flex or extend hip
    • Loss of motion can cause weakness and limping
  • Bursitis (Swollen cushion sac between tissue and hip bone)
    • Pain at point of hip
    • Pain extends to outside of thigh area
    • Pain starts as sharp and intense and becomes achy and more spread out
    • Pain is worse at night, when lying on affected hip, and when rising after sitting
    • Pain may worsen with prolonged walking, stair climbing, or squatting
  • Snapping Hip (Snapping sensation in the hip)
    • “Snapping” feeling in your hip when you walk, get up from a chair, or swing your leg around
    • Snapping hip is usually painless
  • Hip Dislocation (Leg bone out of hip bone socket)
    • Extreme pain
    • Inability to move leg
    • Potential loss of feeling in foot or ankle area
    • Hip may be bent and twisted in toward middle of body, or leg could be twisted out and away from middle of body
  • Hip Fracture (Crack or break in upper thigh bone)
    • Pain over outer upper thigh or in groin
    • Significant discomfort with any attempt to flex or rotate hip
    • Break may be preceded by aching in groin or thigh area
    • Injured leg may appear to be shorter than non-injured leg
    • Injured leg may feel more comfortable in a still position with foot and knee turned outward
  • Pelvis Fracture (Crack in the pelvis)
    • Painful, often swollen and bruised pelvis
    • Usually substantial bleeding
    • Potential nerve injury and internal organ damage
    • Some relief may be felt when hip or knee is bent in a specific position

KNEE

ANKLE

FOOT

  • Stress Fractures of the Foot (Small crack in foot bone)
    • Pain develops gradually, increases with weight-bearing activity, diminishes with rest
    • Pain becomes more severe and occurs during normal, daily activities
    • Swelling on top of foot
    • Tenderness to touch at site of fracture
    • Possible bruising
  • Bunions (Bump on toe joint)
    • Base of big toe gets larger and sticks out
    • Skin over big toe is red and tender
    • Painful to wear shoes and difficult/painful to walk
    • Big toe may angle toward second toe, or move under it
    • Skin on bottom of foot may become thicker and painful
    • Pressure from big toe may force second toe out of alignment, overlapping third toe
  • Ingrown toenail (Toenail growing into skin)
    • Skin around nail is hard, swollen and tender
    • Redness, pain and swelling at corner of nail
    • Small amount of pus may drain from area
  • Arthritis (Joint pain and inflammation)
    • Pain on bottom of foot near heel
    • Pain with first few steps
    • Pain subsides after a few minutes of walking
    • Greater pain after (not during) exercise or activity
  • Hammer toe (Toe deformity)
    • The second, third or fourth toe on foot is bent at the middle joint
    • Corns or calluses on top of middle joint of toe or on tip of toe
    • Pain in toes or feet and difficulty finding comfortable shoes

HAND

  • Dupuytren's Contracture (Thickened, tight palm and finger tissue)
    • Gradually occurring symptoms
    • Small lumps in palm with tenderness that usually fades
    • Tough bands of tissue under skin
    • Curled fingers, most commonly ring finger and little finger
    • Increasingly difficult to straighten finger or grasp large objects
  • Arthritis (Joint pain and inflammation)
    • Joint pain that may feel "dull," or a "burning" sensation
    • Morning pain and stiffness
    • Pain is aggravated by activity or increased joint use, relieved by rest
    • Joint pain increases over time
    • Pain may intensify with weather changes
    • Swelling of the affected joint
    • Joints surrounding affected joint may become more mobile than normal
    • Joint may feel warm
    • May experience a sensation of grating or grinding in affected joint
    • Support structures of joint may be unstable or "loose"
    • Joint may appear larger than normal
    • Small cysts may develop in certain cases
    • Cysts may cause ridging or dents in nail plate of affected finger
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Constricted nerves in wrist and hand)
    • Numbness, tingling, and pain in hand
    • An electric shock-like feeling mostly in thumb, index, and long fingers
    • Strange sensations and pain traveling up arm toward shoulder
    • Symptoms usually begin gradually and may become increasingly more constant
    • Commonly, symptoms are more severe on thumb side of hand
    • Symptoms at night are common, may disrupt sleep
    • Feeling of clumsiness or weakness
    • Muscles at base of thumb may become visibly wasted in severe cases
  • Finger Fracture (Broken finger)
    • Swelling of fracture site
    • Tenderness and bruising at fracture site
    • Inability to move injured finger in completely
    • Deformity of injured finger
    • Finger may be stiff and painful
  • Hand Fracture (Broken bone in the hand)
    • Swelling
    • Tenderness
    • Deformity
    • Inability to move finger
    • Shortened finger
    • Finger crosses over its neighbor when making a partial fist
    • Depressed knuckle
  • Thumb Fracture (Broken thumb)
    • Severe pain at fracture site
    • Swelling
    • Limited or no ability to move thumb
    • Extreme tenderness
    • A misshapen or deformed look to thumb
    • Numbness or coldness in thumb

Other Topics of Interest from Panorama, a Denver Orthopedic Clinic

  • About Orthopedics (bone and joint decade, specialty care, hand surgeons and more)
    Did you know more than one in four Americans has a musculoskeletal impairment? This section includes more facts and information.
     
  • Arthritis (junvenile, rheumatoid, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, etc.)
    Arthritis literally means "inflammation of a joint." The section will tell you more about this condition.
     
  • Broken Bones and Injury (trauma, tendon tears, common injuries, etc.)
     
  • Diseases and Syndromes (Achilles tendonitis, knee pain, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and more)
     
  • En Español (enfermedades y síndromes)
     
  • Joint Replacement (hand and wrist, hip, postoperative care, knee, etc.)
     
  • Prevention and Safety
     
  • Resources Here are some of our favorite sites from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, including information on managed care, patient-centered care, fitness and more).


Colorado residents know there are lots of things to enjoy in Denver. Orthopedic specialists at Panorama help you feel better so you can do more.
 

Category Panorama Orthopedics Services
More in this category: « Orthopedic Services Non-Operative Spine »
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