Dr. Austin Chen MD

02/16/2021

I am so excited to announce that I have received my second COVID vaccination. Ensuring the SAFETY of my patients and co-workers is of the utmost importance to me, and I can now feel even more confident.

01/18/2021

FREE ONLINE HEALTH LECTURE- Improving painful hip conditions. HIP PRESERVATION OFFERS HOPE FOR A RETURN TO AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 7 to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Watch online. You’ll get the link once you register.

Research shows that early intervention for hip problems — whether congenital, developmental, post-traumatic or sports-related — may slow their progression.

Hip preservation is a type of intervention for young, active adults that can improve the structure and function of the hip joint.

Conditions that may benefit from hip preservation include:
• Hip impingement
• Hip dysplasia
• Avascular necrosis
• Athletic hip injury • Hip labral tear
• Snapping hip

Hear Austin W. Chen, MD, the area’s specialty-trained and distinguished expert in hip preservation, describe predisposing risk factors for and the diagnosis of painful hip conditions. He’ll then discuss the latest hip-preserving treatments — both non-surgical and minimally invasive surgical options — that can help you return to an active lifestyle.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
bchlectures.org/painfulhips

11/29/2020

Although this year looks quite different, I do hope you all managed to find some JOY this Thanksgiving. I am beyond GRATEFUL to work with the kind, highly motivated and hard working community of Boulder, who shares my love for this beautiful place. My family and I were also so grateful for a delicious holiday meal provided in part by the local Arcana and Fresh Thymes Marketplace restaurants. Hopefully we can all strive to support our local businesses to see them through this crisis.

10/29/2020

Suffering from HIP PAIN, but still feel too "young" for a hip replacement? Then hip ARTHROSCOPY may be right for you. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can DELAY or ELIMINATE the need for a hip replacement by preemptively treating the conditions that cause osteoarthritis of the hip. Hip arthroscopy can also POSTPONE hip ARTHRITIS by treating its cause in the early stages.

Hip arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that I spent a year training in because it can offer my patients OPTIONS. It can be effective for those suffering from a multitude of hip conditions including the following:

- Acetabuloplasty (pincer impingement)
- Chondroplasty and Microfracture
- Femoroplasty (cam impingement treatment)
- Labral Repair and Reconstruction
- Capsular Plication, Release, and Reconstruction
- Iliopsoas lengthening/release
- Trochanteric bursectomy
- Gluteus medius/minimus repair
- Iliotibial band release

How do you know if you are a candidate? In order to be a candidate for arthroscopic surgery of the hip, one must have minimal to no arthritis. Through an examination, I can determine if arthroscopic surgery is right for you.

10/07/2020

Scheduled to have SURGERY? My goal is for all my patients to feel 100% secure, safe and CONFIDENT going into surgery. It is completely normal to have QUESTIONS and some reservations, which is why I make sure to thoroughly PREPARE you beforehand. If there are some lingering questions that you may have, head over to my website. You will find answers to the most common questions and a simple checklist to prepare you for surgery.

Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Austin Chen serves the greater Boulder, Colorado area treating and diagnosing conditions and injuries of the hip, shoulder and knee.

09/14/2020

Live in EASTERN Colorado, SW Nebraska or NW Kansas? I am now holding a CLINIC in YUMA Colorado once a month. You can book an appointment with the Boulder office: https://www.bouldercentre.com/patient-appointment

09/01/2020

My goal as a surgeon is to always help you ACHIEVE your GOALS. For many of us here in Boulder, that means RUNNING, biking, SKIING and playing as hard, and at the level that you did BEFORE injury. And let me tell you, that IS POSSIBLE.

"My experience with Dr. Chen and Boulder Orthopedics has been excellent. I like that he is focused on sports medicines and getting his patients back to the active lifestyle they enjoy. My recovery from surgery has been easier than I ever imaged and I'm looking forward to playing in the mountains stronger, more aligned and better than ever."

08/26/2020

Have you heard of the term "Hip Scope," and curious to what it refers to?

A HIP SCOPE is another term for Hip Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive hip surgery. It is a technique I specialized in because it offers decreased RECOVERY time, minimized hip pain and SCARRING, can postpone HIP ARTHRITIS and delay or ELIMINATE the need for a HIP REPLACEMENT. I completed a fellowship (a year of training) in hip arthroscopy, in order to master the technique.

In a hip scope I am able to view the hip joint without making a large incision (cut) through the skin and other soft tissues. During surgery, I insert a small camera, called an arthroscope, into your hip joint. The camera then displays pictures onto a monitor so that the exact location of treatment can be determined. I then use these images to guide miniature surgical instruments, allowing me to repair the problem with accuracy and minimal damage to the tissues. You must have minimal to no arthritis to qualify for this surgery.

If you want to find out if you are a candidate, please come in the office for a consultation. This surgery can help you get back to your active lifestyle, whether biking, hiking, running or skiing, or just the casual walk around the block. You can also learn more about what conditions/injuries a hip scope treats here: https://draustinchen.com/hip-arthroscopy/

08/20/2020

ARTHRITIS: This condition is one that affects millions of people, leading to pain and even surgery. So what CAN we do to help PREVENT it?

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight - Excess body weight is one of the best-known and most important risk factors for arthritis. The more pressure you put on your joints, the faster they wear out. Every extra pound of weight you have on is 4 pounds of pressure on the weight-bearing joints, like your knees and hips.

2. Focus on Non Impact Exercises: Some activities may predispose you to osteoarthritis and arthritis pain such as running and soccer. Swimming, bike riding, pilates, and yoga are a few great choices.

3. Avoid Injuries: While none of us are trying to get injured, focusing on injury prevention is important. Avoiding injury will decrease the risk of developing arthritis later in life.

4. Take Vitamin D: Patients who have adequate levels of vitamin D have less progression of osteoarthritis. Aim for levels above 50 ng/mL.

5. Increase your Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Whether through consuming fatty fish (wild salmon, sardines, anchovies) or taking a high quality fish oil supplement, increase your intake. A study in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found that women who eat fish regularly might be at lower risk for rheumatoid arthritis.

6. Stay Hydrated: Drink half your weight in ounces of water daily. The cartilage in our joints is made up mostly of water, which is what makes it such a great cushion for the joints. When we’re dehydrated, water gets sucked out of the cartilage and it’s more easily damaged by wear and tear. This can be seen in people with osteoarthritis of the spine or degenerative disk disease.

7. Move Mindfully: When carrying things, picking things up and moving throughout your normal daily activities, be mindful of how you move. For example, always pick things up using your legs not your back, and carry things like a purse over your shoulder rather than in your hand.

08/03/2020

Did you know that there are a lot of NON-OPERATIVE steps that we can take to help treat an INJURY or condition? I know that there is still fear around having surgery at this point in time, but that does not mean that you should IGNORE orthopedic pain. From an individualized PHYSICAL THERAPY program and lifestyle modifications, to a NUTRITION regime and injections, I work with many TOOLS to get you back to your ACTIVE self.

07/01/2020

Food for Thought: One thing that I am seeing a lot now that we are months into the COVID quarantine is HIP PAIN. The reason being is that many people are far more SEDENTARY than previously. Believe it or not, SITTING for long periods of time, day after day, can be a MAIN CAUSE for HIP pain.

Remember to get up and MOVE. Consider a standing desk, taking walking breaks throughout the day, or even STRETCHING while on a work call. If the pain becomes too INTENSE, come on in and we can discuss a PHYSICAL THERAPY regime and how to modify your daily exercise routine to give you relief.

06/23/2020

As a hip specialist, many patients that I see are suffering from OSTEOARTHRITIS. Osteoarthritis is a common condition that many people develop during middle age or older. It can occur in any joint in the body, but most often develops in weight-bearing joints, such as the HIP. It develops from the CHRONIC wear-and-tear of the cartilage in the hip joint. When the cartilage is worn away, bone-to-bone contact is present, causing SEVERE PAIN, decreased function and RANGE of MOTION. As the cartilage wears away, it becomes frayed and rough, and the protective joint space between the bones decreases.

While SURGICAL intervention is sometimes needed, such as a HIP REPLACEMENT, there are many other TOOLS that I use to help relieve PAIN. From PHYSICAL THERAPY and LIFESTYLE changes such as weight loss and exercise modifications, to NUTRITIONAL intervention, I am here to help in a manner that is the least invasive, and the MOST EFFECTIVE.