When is Knee Replacement Necessary?
Are you experiencing extreme, chronic pain in your knees, along with limited mobility due to arthritis? If so, then clearly, some kind of medical intervention is necessary. But knee replacement surgery is a major surgical procedure with a long recovery time, and it represents a major investment of your time and personal effort to recover. Considering this, along with the significant risks that are associated with all major surgeries, knee replacement should be a last-resort treatment. At Joint Replacement Center by Ortomedica, we can offer you a comprehensive medical consultation to determine if surgery is right for you.
But if you’re not yet ready for a knee replacement surgery, what should you do? Who can help you manage the pain and deal with the stiffness?
Our highly experienced orthopedic surgeons, along with the professional staff at Terapias Elite, our physical therapy and wellness center, can do much more than just knee replacement surgeries. Mexico City is a popular wellness destination, and it is a fantastic place to come seeking more conservative remedies for your arthritis pain. A combination of physical therapy and exercise, good nutrition and weight loss, yoga and meditation – along with an appropriate choice of prescription medications – can work wonders on relieving your arthritis pain.
Of course, some times, these more traditional and conservative therapies just aren’t enough. So, when is it time to seriously consider knee replacement?
Here are a few factors that might indicate it’s time for surgery.
1) The pain is so severe that it limits your typical, daily activities. If getting out of bed to look for the T.V. remote hurts more than it’s worth, or simply going to the bathroom is an excruciating errand, you might need a more extreme treatment.
2) If the pain persists all day and night, even while resting, that means there’s no escape. Your tolerance for pain can only go so far. If you can’t get a break even for a good night’s sleep, then you should think about a knee replacement surgery.
3) If your knee pain, inflammation and swelling is long-lasting, and it doesn’t get better with rest or medications, it can be a sign that your condition is severe. It might be time to think about a more serious procedure.
4) If you notice that your leg is bowed in or out, it’s likely a sign of serious damage to the cartilage in your knee. At this point, you really need to consider an operation.
5) If you’re taking traditional NSAID pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or diclofenac, but they’re not helping, then you need a different kind of help. Additionally, many patients can’t tolerate these medicines. In either case, a surgery may be your only option.
Once all of your other options are exhausted, there is really only one possible solution remaining for permanent treatment of your arthritis-related knee pain. That solution is knee replacement surgery.
When it’s time for surgery, Joint Replacement Center stands ready to care for you at every step of the way. Our state-of-the-art facility has the latest technology to facilitate the highest precision surgical work, and our surgeons have more than 30 years of collective experience to make it go as smoothly as possible. What’s more, our post-surgical care is comprehensive. That means we’ll go the extra mile to make sure you get the best physical therapy, so you can be back home and on your feet within just three weeks. And our medical concierge service will ensure that nothing will be lost in translation, and that you will always feel like a VIP. Contact us now for more information.