Orthopaedics and sports medicine

Injuries and joint conditions can affect how you move, work and stay active. At Affidea, our orthopaedics and sports medicine team focuses on finding the cause of your symptoms and guiding your recovery, helping you return to daily life with greater comfort and confidence.

Overview: What is orthopaedics and sports medicine?

Orthopaedics looks after the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments that support movement. Sports medicine specialises in injuries and conditions linked to physical activity, whether from sport or everyday life.

These two areas of care often overlap. You might seek care for joint pain, tendon injuries, muscle strains or reduced mobility after an accident or overuse.

At Affidea, your care is coordinated by orthopaedic specialists, physiotherapists and imaging teams. This joined-up approach means your diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation are connected to support your recovery.

Treatment is always based on your individual needs. It may include physiotherapy, rehabilitation programmes, targeted pain management or, when clinically appropriate, surgery. Surgery can be indicated to treat muscle and tendon tears, fractures, unstable or arthritic joints.

Our aim is to ensure you understand the condition, can decide on the best treatment and allow you to return to the level of sport or activity you had before the injury occurred. We will work with you at every step of your recovery.

What to expect during your orthopaedics appointment

Your specialist will begin by talking through your symptoms and how they affect your daily activities. This includes when the problem started, what makes it better or worse and how it affects your movement. The physician will ask you about your sport, hobbies and interests to see how these have been affected.

Your clinician will then usually conduct a physical examination to assess your joint stability, range of motion and muscle strength. This helps them understand how the injury or condition is affecting the way your body moves. Don’t be embarrassed by this examination, you can have someone else in the room at the time if you want.

If further information is needed, imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound or X-ray may be arranged to look more closely at the joint or soft tissue involved. Sometimes injections into joints or around tendons are arranged to help the diagnosis or to aid the start of your rehabilitation.

Once your specialist identifies the cause of your symptoms, they’ll explain the available treatment options and what recovery may involve. For many people, treatment focuses on rehabilitation and strengthening through physiotherapy and adjusting your work environment. If surgery is recommended, your care team will guide you through the process – from preparation to recovery.

Recovery is a key part of your orthopaedic care. Your treatment plan may include structured rehabilitation, tailored exercises to restore strength and advice on safely returning to work, sport or daily activities.

Orthopaedic and sports medicine services we offer

Our orthopaedics and sports medicine services support you through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. We care for a wide range of conditions, including arthritis, soft tissue injuries, nerve problems and sports-related injuries.

Physiotherapy and rehabilitation

Physiotherapy helps restore movement and strength after injury, surgery or long-term joint problems. Your physiotherapist will take a detailed history and measure muscle power and joint motion. Your treatment plan focuses on improving mobility, reducing pain and supporting a safe return to daily activity.

Orthopaedic procedures and surgeries

We provide a range of procedures to treat common conditions affecting the hands, joints and soft tissues.

This may include:

• Carpal tunnel release

• Trigger finger treatment

• Dupuytren’s contracture treatment

• Removal of ganglion cysts

• Treatment for ligament injuries

• Care for nerve-related conditions

• Hand arthritis

Minimally invasive techniques such as arthroscopy may be used to assess and treat problems within the joint. This can include:

• Meniscal tears

• Labral tears

• Hip impingement

• Rotator cuff tears

• Unstable shoulders

• Tennis elbow

• Joint arthritis

Joint replacement surgery may be recommended where arthritis or joint damage is more advanced. This can help relieve pain and improve movement.

Sports injury assessment and treatment

Sports injuries can affect muscles, ligaments, tendons or joints. We assess both sudden injuries and longer-term problems linked to training or activity.

This may include:

• Ligament injuries

• Cartilage damage

• Joint instability

• Overuse injuries
  

Your care is focused on recovery, performance and reducing the risk of further injury.

Musculoskeletal pain management

Ongoing pain in the joints, muscles or spine can affect everyday life. We offer a range of treatments to help manage symptoms and improve movement.

This can involve:

• Medication to reduce inflammation and pain

• Guided injections

• Tailored rehabilitation programmes

When to see an orthopaedic and sports medicine specialist

You may benefit from a specialist assessment if you’re experiencing:

• Ongoing joint pain or stiffness

• Sports or exercise-related injuries

• Reduced range of movement or flexibility

• Joint swelling or instability

• Pain affecting your daily activities

• Injuries that have not improved with rest or previous treatment

Early assessment can help identify the cause of your symptoms and guide the right treatment plan. Timely care can also support a smoother recovery and help prevent longer-term joint problems.

If you’re unsure what to do next, our orthopaedics and sports medicine team is here to support you with expert assessment and a clear pathway to recovery.