Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson MD

Orthopedist

250 Nat Turner Blvd Newport News VA, 23606 Show map

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About

Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD, is an established orthopedist and orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic & Spine Center in Newport News, Virginia. He graduated with his medical degree from George Washington University in 1993 and served a general surgery internship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital, residency at Harvard University, an orthopedic trauma surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a spine surgery fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Carlson received board certification in orthopedic surgery from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and maintains professional society memberships with the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and the American Medical Association. Dr. Jeffrey Carlson joined OSC in 1999, and serves as the President and Managing Partner. He focuses on the treatment of injuries and disorders of the spine and also sees patients for a wide variety of general orthopedic issues and problems and favors conservative treatment for his patients. As an orthopedist, Dr. Carlson stays actively involved in continuing medical education by teaching spine surgery techniques around the world. He has received many awards, including being named one of America's Top Orthopaedic Spine Reconstructive Surgeons, earning the Arthritis Foundation's Medical Excellence Award and being included in Becker's Specialty Review Spine Surgeons to Know.

Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson MD's Videos

Education and Training

MD at George Washington University

BS at University of Maryland

College Park

Mechanical Engineering 1993

Board Certification

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedic SurgeryAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryABOS

Provider Details

MaleEnglish 32 years of experience

Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson MD

Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson MD's Expert Contributions

My Latest Posts
My Answers

When Should I Think About Disc Surgery?
Lumbar disc herniations can be found in 40% of asymptomatic patients, and in the neck, almost 30% of asymptomatic patients will have a disc herniation on their MRI. These seem like astounding numbers, as most people think that all disc herniations cause severe pain or nerve dysfunction and will...

Radiating thigh pain?
Certainly sounds like overuse. I would suggest some ibuprofen or Acetaminophen, rest, and ice over the next few days to see if it improves. If not, you should see a physician to evaluate your musculature. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
Alignment of the spine is best determined through X-rays. There are lots of reasons for chronic lower back pain that do not include alignment, but all of the diagnoses from lower back muscular strain, to arthritis, to fractures and misalignments are best evaluated first with an X-ray. After the X-ray is done, your doctor will be able to guide you in the next steps for solidifying the diagnosis and how to treat it. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Grinding sensation, "buckling" and random pain in the knee?
The condition is called chondromalacia patellae. This rough cartilage on the patella grinds when you bend your knee. Putting power across the patella-femoral joint to ascend stairs increases the stress across this joint and causes pain. The pain is what makes your knee buckle. Just like moving a rusty hinge takes more power than a smooth hinge, the "rough" cartilage in the joint forces the knee to use more power and may force your knee to give way. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
What exercises should be avoided after ankle surgery?
This is a critical question to ask your surgeon. It really depends on the type of surgery you have had, either on the tendons (and which tendon) or on the bones (and which bone) to determine which type of exercise to avoid or that would be safe. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Knee fluid?
I would suggest an analysis of the fluid to ensure there are no abnormalities related to infection, inflammation, Gout, or Rheumatoid arthritis. I would also suggest an MRI to evaluate the cartilage and supportive bone and ligaments. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
My knee?
I would suggest an MRI to better evaluate for bone bruising or ligamentous injury. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Swelling in knee areas?
Your swelling may be related to arthritis and should be evaluated by an orthopedist for the next step in treatment. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Severe pain in my left calf?
There are several possibilities including cramps, but you should have this evaluated to ensure it is not more dangerous, like a blood clot. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Post ACL reconstruction accident?
It would unlikely to have damaged the graft or the knee. The knee immobilzer will prevent stress on the graft, which happens with bending the knee. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Ankle fracture?
Go to the doctor and get an X-ray to evaluate the ankle and foot. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Will walking on a torn meniscus make it worse?
In a general sense, "No." Let pain be your guide. Pain in the knee with weight bearing usually means something if tearing or being injured. Sometimes the meniscus needs some pressure on it to move it into the anatomical location that it was torn from and may heal. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Can I climb stairs after meniscus surgery?
Yes. The type of meniscal surgery determines when you will be able to climb stairs. If your surgery includes removal of a portion of the meniscus (partial menisectomy), your knee will be able to bend the same day and you should be able to climb stairs. If your surgery includes repair of a meniscal tear with sutures or anchors, you will not be able to bend the knee for several weeks to allow the meniscus to heal. After the meniscus is healed, you will start to bend the knee and be able to climb the stairs. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Do they put you to sleep for hand surgery?
Usually not. Depends on the amount of surgery to be done. Most upper extremity surgeries can be performed with an anesthetic nerve block of just the arm and not need to have the patient receive a general anesthetic. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
How long does it take to recover from spine surgery?
Really depends on the amount of surgery done. Typical recovery times are decreasing as surgical techniques improve. Less traumatic surgery allows the patient to be more mobile more quickly. There are still some surgeries that cannot be done without significant time and hardware that will take much longer to heal. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Are ganglion cysts hard like bone?
Yes. Ganglion cysts fill with fluid. Just as a balloon can be filled with water and become more rigid, a ganglion cyst feels more dense as it fills with fluid. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Should I see an orthopedist or podiatrist for ankle pain?
Either is fine. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Lumbar Issues?
As your imaging suggests, you have a very large disc herniation, which is the primary problem. The degenerative disc disease (arthritis) is a secondary issue. Disc herniations are generally treated with medications, injections and physical therapy for core strengthening and nerve mobilization. In general, 90% of patients will get better without surgery. In your case, with a very large disc herniation, the odds shift more towards the need for surgery, but it is certainly reasonable to try the non-surgical treatment first. The arthritis will not get better with time and there is really no treatment to improve the MRI findings for the arthritis. Having said this, arthritis does not have to be painful. You are correct that carrying less body weight can decrease the pain related to the arthritis. Core strengthening will help provide stability to the lumbar discs to decrease the grinding and pain related to their movement. If you can keep the discs stable with the exercise, they may fuse and stabilize on their own without a need for surgery. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Shoulder torn tendon?
Yes, it is safe to play sports. It is very unusual to tear the other tendon of the biceps. Usually, the primary torn tendon will heal/scar into a stable position and begin to function in a more normal fashion over about 3 months. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Worry of wrist fracture?
Without a specific traumatic injury, it would difficult to fracture the wrist bones. Most commonly it would be an inflammatory issue, especially on the back side of the wrist where there are a lot of tendons that can get inflamed. I would suggest taking ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for about a week and see if it improves. If not, you should be seen be a physician. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE
Knee pain?
You will need to be seen in a physician office to evaluate. Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD READ MORE