Nonsurgical Orthopedic Care

Partner with Essentia orthopedic specialists to create a care plan that fits your condition, preferences, and goals. Count on us to prescribe effective, noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments as a first-line approach to care. Depending on your specific condition, your doctor may recommend:

• Anti-inflammatory medications – Reduce swelling, pain, or joint stiffness
• Casts, splints or braces – Protect and support bones, ligaments, tendons, and tissues
• Custom orthotics – Provide personalized foot support
• Injections - Deliver medication directly to an affected area; ultrasound-guided injections are available at some locations
  • Cortisone injection – Reduces inflammation in and around your joint
  • Nerve block – Relieves severe, chronic pain by injecting a local anesthetic and steroid to an affected nerve
  • Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection – Uses your own blood to speed healing after an injury
  • Viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid injection) – Delivers a gel-like lubricating fluid to your joint to help it move more smoothly
• Physical therapy – Teaches you gentle exercises to help you reduce pain, increase your range of motion and move more comfortably
• Hand therapy – Uses activities, exercises, splints, and/or adaptive equipment to relieve pain, help you complete daily tasks, and/or improve strength and mobility in your shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand

Essentia orthopedists in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin utilize musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound imaging. MSK ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to create real-time images of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. This means your doctor gets timely, accurate images without exposing you to radiation.

Your doctor may use the MSK ultrasound to diagnose your condition or to guide joint and tendon injections.

Relief for Tendon Pain

If your tendonitis doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, such as cortisone injections, you may benefit from Tenex Health TX®. This minimally invasive procedure is available in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin and uses a special tool and ultrasound guidance to remove damaged tissue from your tendon—without surgery.