Our People / Musculoskeletal Medicine
Musculoskeletal medicine treats problems related to back pain or dysfunction the muscles, bones and joints in the body. The bones from the skeleton provide the rigid framework for the body, the joints allow for movements and muscles perform and control those movements.
Various problems affect the musculoskeletal system. Most people are familiar with fractures, (cracks or breaks in bones), which usually occur as a result of trauma. Arthritis is a condition in which individual joints become inflamed, which makes them swollen and painful. There are many causes of arthritis; some are well understood, but others are still a mystery.
The most common aches and pains in the body are the back, the neck, the shoulder, the elbow, the hip and the knee. Although sometimes identified as arthritis:, these complaints may not be due to joints being inflamed. In many cases the exact source and cause of pain are unknown and cannot be discovered using common tests. The term - musculoskeletal pain, is used to describe these conditions. The pain is real, but is not usually evident on x-rays. It means that the problem lies somewhere in the bones, joints, nerves or muscles of the affected part of the body, even though the exact source is not clear.
Musculoskeletal Medicine is defined by the sorts of problem that patients suffer, rather than by the types of doctors who treat them. Some people already know specialties such as rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine. These are related to Musculoskeletal Medicine, however each one focuses on particular conditions or special ways of treating them. For example, Rheumatologists have particular skill in treating inflamed joints in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
For further information Musculoskeletal Medicine at Brighton Spinal Group.
The following website provides details on Musculoskeletal physicians in Australia:
Australian Association of Musculoskeletal Medicine (AAMM)
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| Dr Aston Wan |
Specialist Medical Acupuncturist |
Dr Aston Wan qualified in Medicine at Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland. He is also a Fellow of The Australian Medical Acupuncture College and The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. He has a major interest in Medical Acupuncture in particular the modern approaches such as bio-medical acupuncture, neuroanatomical acupuncture, segmental acupuncture, European style of auricular acupuncture, and related techniques such as Gunn's Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS). He has been trained in Medical Acupuncture in the United Kingdom, France, Hong Kong, USA, Canada and Australia. He is also interested in lifestyle and stress management as well as nutritional medicine. He is also a Pain Medicine Specialist. A GP referral is required for an appoinment at Brighton Spinal Group. |
| Dr Victor Wilk |
Musculoskeletal Medicine |
Victor Wilk is a Musculoskeletal Physician and Medical Director of the Brighton Spinal Group. He is currently President of the Australasian Faculty of Musculoskeletal Medicine. From a background originally in sports medicine in the early 1980s, Victor has over 20 years of experience in dealing with acute and chronic back pain problems. He has completed a post graduate diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine and a masters degree in Pain Medicine. In addition to his work at Brighton, he has developed guidelines for managing low back pain for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and regularly gives lectures and seminars to doctors and allied health professionals in Australia and overseas. He maintains an open minded holistic approach in diagnosing and managing difficult spinal problems. At Brighton he oversees pain management programs utilising the onsite gymnasium. Specific treatments used also include prolotherapy and cortisone injections for muscle and tendon problems and x-ray guided injection and denervation techniques for chronic spinal pain, headaches and sciatica, performed at the Alfred Centre, Melbourne. |