How Baylor Scott & White Is Helping Collin County Move Better – Local Profile

When your bones and joints are in pain, it’s hard not only to move but to even think about anything else. This connection between body and mind is something Joel Wells, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – McKinney Hip Preservation Center, stresses when it comes to taking charge of your orthopedic health.

“The best thing for patients to know is that bone health comes from the top down,” he explains. “It’s about mental and physical health, with a lot of it stemming from nutrition and exercise.”

This means good decisions about your diet, along with an exercise program that’s right for you, are crucial to preserving bone and joint health and can help prevent injury.

When Rest And Home Remedies Don’t Offer Relief

While everyone experiences minor injuries from time to time, ongoing pain or loss of range of motion that doesn’t resolve quickly are red flags that should be checked out by a specialist.

“If a patient experiences any symptoms that may limit them,” says Dr. Wells, “I think seeing an orthopedist is important.”

These symptoms may include:

• Ongoing pain in your arms, legs, hips, knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders or back
  
   
• Swelling, stiffness or problems moving a joint
  
   
• Hearing or feeling a popping in a joint
  
   
• Pain strong enough to keep you from everyday activities

Far-Reaching Options Close By

Fortunately, Baylor Scott & White Health makes finding the right care close to home easy by offering a wide range of subspecialized orthopedic care across its various Collin County locations.

“Just because you’re seeing an orthopedist or an orthopedic surgeon doesn’t mean you’re going to have to have surgery,” says Dr. Wells. “The best part of my job — and I know for my colleagues as well — is just helping patients, whether it’s with or without surgery.”

The type and location of the problem, along with the patient’s preferences, drive the Baylor Scott & White orthopedic team’s recommendations.

Non-surgical treatments may include:

• Prescription medications to relieve pain and inflammation
  
   
• Physical therapy to improve strength and change mechanics
  
   
• Injections and other healing therapies to lessen inflammation

Should surgery be necessary, Dr. Wells says the procedures available now have advanced tremendously in recent years. “While surgery is still a big endeavor for patients to undergo, we’re getting less invasive, more precise treatments for the exact issue.”

As an example of the highly specialized care available in Collin County, the Baylor Scott & White – McKinney Hip Preservation Center focuses specifically on caring for patients with hip problems.

“We can do injections and use new techniques involving ultrasound, and some of the most skilled physical therapists that I know of are right here.”

Hip preservation procedures are also available through the center. This minimally invasive surgery corrects the biology of the hip, often preventing the need for a hip replacement procedure later in life.

“What’s great about the Baylor Scott & White orthopedic department is that every single hospital has specialized care,” says Dr. Wells. “So, if you live in Collin County or Dallas County, wherever you go, you can have top-notch orthopedic care.”

Got a hitch in your hip? Find answers today

Scan the QR code to watch a webinar on hip conditions and what to do about them.

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health.