Straight from the Sports Medicine Specialist: Thoughts from Chad Griffith, M.D.

 

1) Common symptoms of someone who needs specialty sports medicine care?

Anyone who has suffered any injury while participating in their favorite activity or is unable to perform at their optimal level due to painful joints.

2) First thing you’d do for a new patient when they come in? 

Talking to the patient to find out what is bothering them and how it is affecting their life is the first step in deciding the appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. This background information, the physical exam, and X-rays or MRI scans are all vital to taking good care of our patients.

3) Surgery vs Non-operative care—how do you decide what’s best for the patient?

We have to balance the risks and benefits for each individual patient.  Deciding factors include not only the orthopedic diagnosis, but also factors such as the impact of surgery on the patient’s ability to work, family responsibilities, financial concerns, etc.  The decision about whether or not to pursue surgery is a discussion between the doctor and patient with both parties contributing to the decision.

4) Who else within the clinic might your patients interact with? 

The treatment of patients at St. Cloud Orthopedics is certainly a collaborative effort. The patient experience starts at our new check-in kiosks, which have improved our check-in wait times. Patients also have the option for checking in with our friendly front desk staff. From there, patients are interviewed by one of our experienced clinic nurses. If X-rays are needed, they can be taken right in our clinic by our radiology technicians. After a treatment plan has been created, St. Cloud Orthopedics offers on-site cast techs, physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, surgery schedulers, or workers compensation specialists.

5) What’s one specific advantage St. Cloud Orthopedics can offer shoulder patients? 

St. Cloud Orthopedics offers specialists in nearly every orthopedic specialty. The surgeons at our clinic have also been on the forefront for utilizing the latest available technology—such as robotic and navigated joint replacements—to provide the best care for our patients.

6)  What measures do you take to ensure the most optimal recovery experience for patients? 

Therapy after surgery is as important as the surgery itself. One measure that St. Cloud Orthopedics has taken to improve outcomes has been the early initiation of therapy after knee surgery. Most patients who undergo same-day knee surgeries will see one of our excellent physical therapists within 1 to 3 days to start their therapy.

 

Dr. Griffith completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He is a candidate member of the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, and received the OREF Clinic Research Award in 2013 for his topic on “Improving Outcomes for Posterolateral Knee Injuries.” Dr. Griffith joined our clinic in 2015. Read his full bio on our website.