By Valerie Hawkins, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center
Creaky, achy joints are a serious problem because pain can affect every aspect of your life. Does the thought of dancing at your daughter’s wedding bring pain to your knees? Or perhaps you are rethinking that tropical vacation this summer because walking on the beach is nearly impossible to bear with your aching hips. When joint pain begins to interfere with your quality of life, perhaps it’s time to think about hip or knee replacement surgery.
What is a Total Joint Replacement?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 600,000 total knee replacements and 332,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year. Joint replacements have become a routine surgery and can significantly relieve pain and increase mobility in about 90 percent of patients.
Hip and knee replacement, or arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure in which the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee and hip are removed and replaced with a new, artificial part called a prosthesis. The goals of total joint replacement surgery include increasing mobility, improving the function of the joint, and relieving pain.
Know When the Time is Right.
A joint replacement surgery is a major surgical procedure. Determining when the time is right for a hip or knee replacement can be challenging. But when joint pain is so bad it restricts you from activities you want or need to do, the time may be right.
Talk to your primary care physician about your options, and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Your orthopedic surgeon can then help you determine if joint replacement surgery is right for you. Sometimes a less invasive procedure may be the answer, but if you have some of the signs listed below, total knee or hip replacement may offer the best chance for pain relief and allow you to return to normal activities.
Signs it might be time for a total joint replacement are when:
- You’re no longer as mobile as you’d like to be.
- You feel joint pain when the weather changes.
- Your joint pain persists over time.
- Your hip or knee stiffens up after sitting for a period of time.
- Your joint pain prevents you from sleeping.
- You have difficulty walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of a seated position.
- Your joints are stiff or swollen.
Get back to the activities you enjoy, and talk to your physician about total joint replacement surgery. After all, is it more painful for you to take that beach vacation, or miss out on it entirely?
The Total Joint Replacement Center at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center offers the expert care of a dedicated team specially trained in the care of hip and knee replacement patients. The center incorporates fun into recuperation that includes education and exercise in a group format, giving patients and their coaches an opportunity to network with others in similar situations. The program focuses on a quick recovery and the return to an active lifestyle. For more information about the Total Joint Replacement Center at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, please call 309-662-3311 ext. 3070 or visit osfstjoseph.org.