Knee replacement surgery is not recommended until the pain is severe and significantly affects your daily life.
You most likely have osteoarthritis, which is a common reason for knee pain. It could be the result of genetics, previous stress, or weight. Your knee osteoarthritis can eventually create severe pain, regardless of the source.
A metal or plastic prosthetic joint is used to replace all or part of your natural knee during knee replacement surgery. Surgery is a big step that takes time to recover from, but it could provide lasting relief that often lasts for the rest of your life.
Knee replacement surgery is not recommended until the pain is severe and significantly affects your daily life, according to Biren Nadkarni, senior consultant, joint replacement and orthopedic surgeon, at Sitaram Bhartia Institute and Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi . In addition, she adds that knee replacement surgery may be the next logical option if conservative therapies fail to provide relief and your quality of life is significantly affected by your knee discomfort.
Here are four signs that knee replacement may be your best option:
1. The pain is constant
It’s time to think about knee replacement if you have trouble walking, exercising, standing, sitting, climbing stairs, or just sleeping at night. Your ability to move normally and sleep may be affected by pain. Your knees are swollen, stiff and achy in the rain. Bones can rub against the joint or rub against each other. Knee replacement surgery can relieve this pain.
2. Deformities in the knee joint
If you have significant knee discomfort, you may notice that your legs bend in or out due to arthritis. The knee may buckle or “buckle” as the arthritis worsens. A knee replacement may be necessary if this type of malformation progresses over time.
3. Your movement is becoming more and more restricted
As you age, it’s typical to experience some loss of joint flexibility. However, chronic knee stiffness that limits movement may be an indication of a more serious knee problem. When talking about knee replacement surgery, the following mobility problems are the most frequent that we observe in our patients:
- Stiff knee requiring the use of a cane or other mobility aid
- Difficulty walking or climbing stairs, getting up from chairs, or getting out of the bathtub
- Morning stiff knee that lasts up to 30 minutes
- Knee stiffness that gets worse after sitting for a long period of time, such as during a long car ride or a movie
The fact that loss of mobility can affect more than just your ability to move is one of the most crucial things to consider in this situation. Inactivity increases when mobility decreases. Also, your muscle strength and joint function can deteriorate the less you move. You may not fully benefit from a knee replacement if you lose too much strength and function because your body may not be able to heal as efficiently.
4. Other pain relievers fail
You can start treating knee joint pain with over-the-counter options or use prescription lotions and ointments that are applied to the skin to reduce discomfort. We postpone knee replacement surgery for as long as possible and manage her pain with less intrusive procedures, Biren Nadkarni said. Before considering surgery, your doctor may also try other therapies such as corticosteroid injections or hyaluronic acid injections. These therapies are often not a long-term solution, but they can temporarily reduce discomfort and improve smoothness of joint movement. We might also advise you to make changes at home, such as increasing your activity level and decreasing excess weight, which puts a lot of stress on painful knee joints.
It may be time to think about knee replacement if none of these treatments work well for you.
(With input from IANS)
