Joint Solutions offer a ‘one-stop shop’ solution to sporting injuries

Operating at The Edinburgh Clinic, the private day case hospital in Colinton, Joint Solutions are ahead of the curve when it comes to diagnosing and treating muscular, bone, joint or sporting injuries.

Joint Solutions is a medical group that brings together a range of specialists whose areas of expertise lend themselves specifically towards the individualised diagnosis and management of sports-related injuries.

The group consists of highly experienced orthopaedic surgeons, specialist sports physicians, radiologists, and physiotherapists.

This expertise, combined with the exceptional scanning and operating theatre facilities at The Edinburgh clinic, provides an incomparable service for anyone who has an injury.

Mr Tim White, a Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, one of the group’s knee specialists and Head of Trauma at the Royal Infirmary, explained: “We aim to offer a one-stop shop for the diagnosis and treatment of whatever problem people might have.

“Often people, when they sustain an injury, aren’t sure who to approach in the first instance.   They might simply need advice, an explanation and a guidance on rehabilitation, but they may need a more detailed sports medicine assessment of their training regime, or an injection or even surgery.  We are dedicated to ensuring that each patient is assessed by the right specialist and receives a management plan that is tailored to their needs.”

“We also believe strongly in working with each individual in order not only to improve their injury, but to help prevent future injuries occurring and allow the safe and fulfilling return to activity/sport.”

And since forming in 2017, Joint Solutions has enjoyed great success, and the unique group now enjoys strong business relationships with some of Scotland’s most successful sporting bodies.

“It has been very popular in the last year since we started,” said Tim.  “We have seen a huge range of patients with a variety of injuries.  “We’re now doing a lot of work within professional football and other areas of elite sport in Scotland.  We have carried out a wide range of operations including cartilage and tendon repairs and ligament reconstructions.

“We also treat a lot of development and recreational athletes from a wide range of sports. Not all patients we see participate in high-level sport, but a considerable number are looking to stay fit and active.  By applying the unique knowledge of working in elite sport we can ensure that all patients and athletes that come through Joint Solutions benefit from a comprehensive and tailored assessment.”

The team appreciate that surgical management, although sometimes necessary,  can often be avoided with careful assessment, rehabilitation and utilisation of less invasive approaches like joint injections.  One of the significant strengths of the team is the shared care that happens between specialties to ensure that each patient receives the expertise required from the Joint Solutions team as part of their management plan.

“People often don’t need surgery and are better treated through structured rehabilitation,” Tim noted.  “This is why we have an excellent specialist sports physician in our group, Dr Carrie McCrea.

“She works with elite athletes in Swimming, Rugby, Football, Gymnastics and a range of other Olympic and Commonwealth sports and is a specialist in assessing injuries in the context of training and competition needs and with a strong focus on non-surgical management.”

The group believe strongly in medical innovation and have sought to include new treatments to Joint Solutions patients. One such treatment, which has proved to be very popular according to Tim, is the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections for a range of musculoskeletal complaints.

“It’s a relatively new area of medicine,” the knee trauma expert revealed.

“Injecting PRP into joints is now a way of treating inflammatory or painful degenerative arthritis without having to perform surgery, and it’s something we’re actively involved in researching and developing,”

“It’s often an effective way to treat someone without having to resort to a more intrusive procedure like surgery, and the uptake on this has been very good.

“On average, we provide two to three treatments a week, most commonly to the knee and hip, but also to the elbow.”

Moving forward, Joint Solutions are looking to expand their practice to athletes of all performance levels and to anyone looking to either return from injury or prevent one from happening.

For more information visit our Joint Solutions page or call 0131 447 2340