Second Opinion
Shoulder Injuries
Feb 2010Loel Payne, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon with Tidewater Orthopaedic Associates Shoulder Specialists. He completed a fellowship in shoulder surgery and sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He has written multiple articles and book chapters and lectured nationally on shoulder conditions.
Q: I injured my shoulder several months ago and it is still painful. What could be wrong?
A: Each year an estimated four million people seek medical attention for shoulder injuries. As a shoulder surgeon, I frequently see patients with one of three main shoulder complaints: their shoulder is unstable after an injur Read More...
Midwives
Jan 2010Q. How is a midwife different from an obstetrician in the type of care each provides?
A.Certified nurse-midwives are a very important part of my medical practice. They are nurses with advanced degrees who specialize in normal, natural childbirth and gynecological care of healthy women throughout their life cycle. Midwives and doctors share common goals: to provide excellent care for mother and baby, to create a positive birth experience for the parents and, of course, to deliver a healthy baby.
Obstetricians and nurse-midwives work together to provide a rich experience for birthing women and their families. Both the midwife and physician us Read More...
Spondylolisthesis
Dec 2009Fancy Name, Common Problem
Did you know that back pain and leg pain lead about 20 percent of Americans to see a physician each year? Although most back pain is minor and usually resolves on its own, there are many different problems that can cause lingering lower back pain. About 10 percent of patients who see an orthopaedic spine specialist for their back pain have spondylolisthesis—a condition where the bones in the spine (vertebrae) have either slipped or shifted.
Vertebrae may slide or change position for many reasons. The most common culprit is degenerative disc disease, which causes the vertebrae to sit more loosely on each other and allo Read More...
Frequent Headache Pain
Nov 2009I get frequent, painful headaches.
How do I know if they are migraines?
Nearly all of us have the occasional headache, but most of us believe we can handle them. We take an over-the-counter pain medication and before we know it, the headache disappears. As universal as headaches are, though, the symptoms are more complicated and unique than you might realize.
What hurts when you have a headache? The bones of the skull and tissues of the brain don’t because they lack pain-sensitive nerve fibers. Several areas of the head can hurt, however, including the network of nerves that extend over the scalp as well as certain nerves in the face, mouth a Read More...
Not Children, But Not Yet Adults: Special Concerns of Teen Athletes
Sep 2009The dividing line between childhood and adulthood can be foggy during adolescence. Teens who look and feel “grown-up” often feel out of place in a pediatric waiting room filled with children playing with wooden puzzles and coloring books.
But adolescents, especially those who are athletes, face heightened health risks unique to their age. Because they are still growing, teens who are active in sports risk injuring their bones, ligaments and tendons—injuries best treated by pediatric sports medicine specialists.
The following are some conditions that occur at a higher rate among adolescents than children and are seen more often in gifted athletes who spend Read More...
Urinary Incontinence
Aug 2009Embarrassing and Inconvenient, But treatable
Are you familiar with every rest stop on I-64? When you go out to dinner, do you request the table closest to the bathroom?
Urinary incontinence, or poor bladder control, affects nearly 25 million people each year. There are several different types of incontinence, including stress, urge and overflow.
Stress incontinence
is the leakage of small amounts of urine while sneezing, coughing or performing any physical activity. Childbirth and some surgeries are the most common causes of stress incontinence.Read More...
Pregnancy Skin Changes
May 2009
Q: What type of skin changes should I expect during pregnancy?
A: Pregnancy is an exciting time that is filled with new experiences as well as changes in the body. When you think of the impact of pregnancy on skin, stretch marks probably come to mind first. But there are several benign rashes that expectant mothers may also experience.
One type of rash, PUPPP—short for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (try saying that three times fast!)—is the most common type of rash to develop during pregnancy. This condition is harmless to the mother and baby but can be very itchy and annoying. PUPPP typically develops in the thi Read More...
After Childbirth
Mar 2009Q: I’ve heard many women experience pelvic floor disorders after childbirth. What might these include and how can they be treated?
A: Childbirth is, by far, one of the great miracles of life. Remarkable changes take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy and delivery, and although every woman is different, it is all too common for those changes to lead to distressing health disorders. Oftentimes, these disorders result from damage caused to the pelvic region during vaginal childbirth.
During childbirth, the reproductive organs and their support structures are displaced from their normal positions in the pelvis. In many cases, these o Read More...