Family Medicine Associates provides lesion, cyst, and mole removal for patients who have suspicious or irregular marks on their skin. Though the purpose for removal is often cosmetic, we commonly send a skin sample or biopsy to our lab for analysis. This is so we can ensure that the sample is healthy and benign, and is not cancerous or dangerous for our patient. Any skin biopsy that comes back to our office signaling a malignancy or serious condition will be addressed and discussed with our patients so that a treatment plan can be tailored for optimal health. Sometimes, sending a sample for evaluation, even when we believe the sample is safe, helps alleviate concern or worry of "the unknown". Our physicians remove all skin irregularities with care so that scarring is minimized, and the overall assessment is as effective as possible.

An ingrown toenail is when your toenail grows into the skin.  The result is redness, swelling, pain, and it can even lead to infection. This condition is common and can usually be taken care of at home with proper toenail maintenance. However, if the pain is severe, if you are a diabetic, or infection is present, we encourage you to seek medical assistance to relieve your discomfort and resolve or prevent infection.

If you have a deep cut or tear in your skin, it's important to seek immediate medical attention. You need to see a doctor if your wound is 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, bleeding does not stop after 10 – 15 minutes of applying pressure, the bone is exposed, or the wound is near a major artery. Your doctor will examine the wound, clean it to remove any debris to prevent infection, seal it, and bandage it.

Sports-related injuries and household injuries can be severe. Sports-related injuries such as concussions, sprained ankles, pulled hamstrings, shin splints, ACL tears, or broken bones should be examined by a medical professional. Household injuries such as a laceration from a kitchen knife, cooking burn, fall from a ladder or stairs, and poisoning are common and should be addressed immediately. 

A joint or trigger point injection is an injection that brings pain relief to the joints. Typically, patients who receive these type of injections suffer from severe joint pain. Your doctor may use these injections as treatment of even as a diagnostic tool to confirm a suspected condition. These injections provide temporary pain relief but the frequency of injections will be dependent on your condition and your doctor's recommendation

Although your doctor can typically recognize a fracture with a physical examination or an X-ray, sometimes diagnosing a fracture can be tricky. Wrist fractures and hip fractures can be especially difficult to identify by an X-ray alone. In these cases, your doctor may order an MRI, CT, or bone scan to identify the location of the fracture. Once the fracture is diagnosed, a treatment plan can be developed. Further testing may also be necessary.