When Is it Time to Consider Joint Replacement?
When your arthritic knee pains you if you walk even a block, or an aching shoulder keeps you from a restful night’s sleep, it’s natural to start thinking about joint replacement.
Surgery isn’t the first strategy to treat osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease. But if you’ve tried other therapies without getting relief, it’s time to explore the option of a total joint replacement with an orthopedic surgeon.
Think about your daily routine.
- Has joint pain affected your ability to work, walk, do housework, go shopping, play sports, sleep through the night?
- Is it difficult to rise from a chair, or to stand at the stove to cook dinner?
- Does an aching knee, hip, or shoulder keep you from the activities you love, like golfing or playing with the grandkids?
- Do you feel sad, depressed, or blue because a painful joint limits the way you live?
Have you tried all non-surgical treatments without success?
Therapies your doctor may recommend before you consider surgery include:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve)
- steroid injections
- physical therapy
- adopting an anti-inflammatory diet
- weight loss
- exercise
If you’ve answered yes to most or all of these, it’s time to ask your orthopedic specialist if joint replacement is the best option for you.
Joint Replacement Surgery: What to Expect
At the Lifespan Orthopedics Institute, educating patients about what to expect before, during, and after their surgery is a priority.
If you decide that a joint replacement is right for you, you will get an overview of the recovery and rehabilitation process that begins immediately after surgery.
Within hours, physical and occupational therapists will begin working with you to regain ease of motion and a return to your everyday activities.
Most patients who have a joint replaced are able to go directly home rather than to a rehabilitation facility, many on the day after surgery.
Ready to Get Started on Your Joint Replacement Journey?
If you feel that joint replacement may be the right next step for you, please call to schedule a consultation with one of the total joint replacement specialists at the Lifespan Orthopedics Institute.
For our Providence location, call 401-793-5852. For Newport, call 401-845-1474.