NORTHERN BERKSHIRE ORTHOPEDICS


Les Jorgensen's hip pain made it difficult for him to walk from his living room to his kitchen; never mind enjoy the activities he loves. After a hip replacement with Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, MD, of SVMC Orthopedics, he walks 18-holes of golf three times a week, pain free.

Celia Bahny and her family are very active. Unfortunately, Celia suffered a broken arm (in the same spot twice!) which slowed her down for a spell. Today, she is fully recovered with help from Dr. Matthew Nofziger of SVMC Orthopedics. In this video, Celia and her mother, Holly, discuss her care with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and how we helped get her back to their active lifestyle.

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Avid hiker and guide Keld Alstrup relied on Dr. Matthew Nofziger and the expert team at SVMC Orthopedics to relieve his knee pain and restore his active lifestyle. Now he's back to "peak performance."

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Deborah Slaner Larkin talks about the care she received from Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Dr. Suk Namkoong.

Restoring Active Lifestyles

Don’t let pain or injury keep you on the sidelines of your own life.

If pain or injury is holding you back from living the life you want, SVMC Orthopedics would like to help. The team of board-certified providers is here to provide the individualized treatment and compassionate care you need to get back to leading the life you love.

 

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Southwestern Vermont Health Care has been awarded a grant from The Aircast Foundation to allow our orthopedic patients to participate in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock GreenCare model.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) has initiated a new data-gathering program—the GreenCare model—to increase both health care quality and patient satisfaction while decreasing costs.  The GreenCare model uses data collected from patients to predict outcomes for similar patients in the future. The data collected allows patients and surgeons to understand the impact of their orthopedic disease allowing an individualized treatment plan.  SVMC Orthopedics is the first GreenCare participant among Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s affiliated medical institutions.

If you suffer from severe or chronic hip, knee, or ankle pain, total joint replacement may be the best solution. Your orthopedic surgeon will help you understand your options and how joint replacement surgery can help to not just relieve your pain, but get you back to leading a full and active life.

Whether you need a hip replacement or knee replacement, surgeries are performed at SVMC with a rehabilitation program developed in conjunction with our Sports and Therapy department. We offer both in- patient and out-patient therapy options. Some patients are able to return home from a joint replacement surgery on the same day. For patients requiring additional recovery time, the Centers for Living & Rehabilitation (CLR) located on our campus can provide additional extra nursing care and therapy before returning home to fully independent care.

Because getting back to living is the ultimate goal of spinal surgery, the reduced recovery time required by minimally invasive surgery makes it an ideal option for many. 

At SVMC, you’ll be treated by a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon extensively trained in performing minimally invasive spine procedures and creating customized treatment plans. In some cases, you’ll be up and about in a few hours and back to work in a matter of days or weeks, not months.

While the causes of foot pain can range from trauma and arthritis to diabetes-related issues and injuries, the SVMC team has a single focus: literally getting you back on your feet.

Our experienced team offers comprehensive care of foot and ankle disorders through both surgical and non-surgical means for patients of all ages. Using biomechanical analysis, imaging, and other diagnostic procedures, we’ll isolate the cause of your pain and determine the treatment option that delivers the most effective and quickest path to recovery.

Injuries to the rotator cuff are not only painful, they can be life limiting. When possible, the fellowship-trained surgeons at SVMC will attempt to treat your injury through non-surgical means, which may include physical therapy, medication, or injections. If those efforts are unsuccessful, your physician may recommend surgery here at SVMC. Utilizing the latest in arthroscopic technology, your repair can be made with only a slight incision, reducing your recovery time and chance of infection.  For more complicated injuries, a more involved surgery or even joint replacement may be necessary.

Regardless of your procedure, your care will continue post-surgery with a comprehensive rehabilitation plan developed in conjunction with our Physical Therapy department.

In addition to being delicate and complex, your hands and wrists are essential to your daily life. At SVMC, we appreciate that an injury or problem can limit your ability to work, play, and generally enjoy life. From fractures and arthritis to deformities and carpal tunnel syndrome, our providers can care for you. They can create a custom treatment plan using the most advanced surgical techniques, devices, and rehabilitation programs to help you maximize function and minimize pain for the best results possible.

The average person experiences two bone fractures in their lifetime. But as common as they are, every fracture is unique. From complex and stress to oblique and greenstick, at SVMC we diagnose and treat fractures with the specific cause and needs of the patient in mind. On-site imaging technology allows us to quickly assess your need and move quickly to begin the mending process. Depending upon the nature and cause of your injury, we may develop a continuing care plan to reduce or eliminate the chance of future injury.

Whether you’re a competitive athlete or a weekend warrior, our board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine specialists can help relieve your pain and get you back in the game or back to your everyday routine.

Our first approach is always conservative, meaning you won’t endure unnecessary treatments or care for your injury. We use the latest techniques and methods to resolve your issue in a manner that’s appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

If your injury does require surgery, it can be performed here, close to home where you can rest and recover in comfort. As part of your care, we’ll develop a personalized recovery plan utilizing the talents and facilities of our on-site Physical Therapy department. Together, we’ll help you recover faster, improve your strength and performance, and reduce the potential for future re-injury.

SVMC Physical Therapy

SVMC Occupational Therapy

Arthritis Today www.arthritistoday.org

National Osteoporosis Foundation nof.org

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons orthoinfo.aaos.org

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine www.amssm.org

RELATED ARTICLES

Ticks: The Second Spike
Administrator Account
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2020

Ticks: The Second Spike

When the weather begins to cool, many of us begin to think that the health risks associated with summer—sun burns and heatstroke—are slowly disappearing. In many cases, they are. But the risk of contracting the diseases carried by ticks is still high until after frosts set in.  In fact, the prevalence of tick-borne diseases is almost as high in mid-October as it is in mid-May, when they are most active. The fall spike in tick activity relates to the adult ticks seeking their final meal before their long winter nap.

Here’s what you need to know to get through this second spike in tick season without contracting one of the diseases they carry, like Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.

Avoid tick bites by steering clear of wooded and bushy areas and those with tall grass or leaf litter. If you enjoy hiking, walk in the center of the trail. Use a repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin, and follow the directions on the package. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin, which both repels and kills ticks. It is very effective against tick bites and poses no threat to humans. It is often marketed as “clothing and gear” spray. One treatment, following the directions on the package, will likely take you safely through the end of the season.

Your next line of defense is to keep those ticks that found you from biting you. Change clothes when you come inside. Wash them in hot water and tumble dry. If possible, bathe or shower within 2 hours of coming indoors, as well.

Conduct a thorough tick check. The most common type of tick in Vermont and the surrounding area, and the one that carries most of our tick-borne illnesses, is the black-legged tick. They are adults in the fall and are at their largest, which should make them easier to spot. Although, even a large adult tick is still pretty small. The body is only about the size of the letter “d” in the word dime on an actual dime. So look carefully. They can hide in and behind ears, under arms, in the groin, and behind the knees. Check yourself, have a family member check your back and other areas that are difficult to see, and check your children carefully.

If you find a tick on your skin, remove it immediately. In most cases, you have at least 24 hours to find and remove a feeding tick before it transmits an infection. Use pointy tweezers or an aftermarket tick-removal device. Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight upwards. Do not use any lubricants or hot objects. Leaving mouthparts in your skin does not increase the chance of infection. (They will come out on their own.) Disinfect the area with alcohol or other disinfectant. Identify the tick using online resources, if possible. Then flush it down the sink or toilet.

Know the symptoms. Only just over half of Vermont’s black-legged ticks carry Lyme disease. Those carrying the other common tick-borne diseases measure around 5 percent. So just because you have been bitten does not mean you will be infected. At the same time, many of those who get a tick-borne illness diagnosis don’t recall having been bitten. So, it's important to know the symptoms and watch for them.

Symptoms of Lyme and anaplasmosis are similar. They include flu-like symptoms, like fever and fatigue; head, neck, and joint aches; and enlarged lymph nodes. Usually the symptoms come on suddenly. Only about 25 percent of people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease get the characteristic "bull's eye" rash. If you do notice symptoms, call your doctor right away. Symptoms treated early are less likely to make any long-term impact.

Maintaining high awareness of ticks in the environment is the best way to keep from getting infected with the diseases they carry this fall.

Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care, in Bennington.

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375 Main Street, Williamstown, MA 01267
Phone: (413) 458-4452
Fax: (413) 398-1015

Hours:
Monday – Friday:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Directions: 
For directions to SVMC Orthopedics, click here.

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