When You Have Knee Pain: Talk To Your Doctor About Joint Replacement
Knee arthritis is a common condition that eventually wears out your knee joint and causes significant pain in your knee. You might begin to struggle with mobility or severe pain that wakes you up at night. Your orthopedist will be able to talk to you about your knee pain and what can be done to reduce the pain you are in. Joint replacement surgery for the knee is done all the time, but your doctor may not be ready to do the surgery if there are other things that can help. When it comes to joint replacement of the knee, you can get a partial knee replacement or a complete one, depending on the overall health of your joint.
A Partial Knee Replacement and Your Mobility
When you have pain in your knee caused by a loss of cartilage, your doctor may suggest surgery to correct the problem. When part of your knee joint is still in good shape, a partial knee replacement can be done to get your knee back into good mechanical shape. This is less extensive than a total knee replacement, and your recovery time will be shorter. A partial knee replacement can be converted into a total knee replacement when the time is right.
Your Total Knee Replacement and Recovery
If your pain is significant and your knee joint is no longer functional, your doctor may suggest a total knee replacement. This is a surgery that will replace your knee joint with a titanium one, giving you a new knee joint that will function correctly. It can take up to a year to fully recover from a knee replacement surgery, but your pain will lessen over time. As you heal from your surgery, you will begin to see how much you were missing because of your previous knee pain.
Preparing For Your Knee Surgery
There are a few things you can do to make your surgery and recovery easier. You can lose some weight if you are overweight, reducing the strain on your knee joints. You can work with a physical therapist prior to surgery to strengthen your leg muscles that will be supporting your new knee. Prepare for a few weeks of being out of work and know how you are going to be taken care of once you return home.
A knee replacement surgery can be the best decision you have ever made, but you have to get to the point where a knee replacement is necessary. To learn more, contact your local joint replacement services.
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