What is a joint replacement?
A joint replacement is a surgical procedure that removes your damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial joint, sometimes called a prosthesis. As the replacement joint heals, the joint adheres to your bones and acts like a typical, healthy joint -- without stiffness, swelling, or pain.
Joint replacement surgeries can replace multiple joints, including your:
- Knee
- Hip
- Shoulder
- Ankle
- Elbow
- Wrist
- Knuckle
Although different conditions can lead to a joint replacement, the most common reasons that people seek the surgery are: osteoarthritis, normal wear-and-tear on the joint, and injury or trauma to the joint.
What happens after a joint replacement?
After a joint replacement procedure, you should start utilizing the new joint right away. In most cases, even after a knee surgery, you’re up and moving within days. Along with moving the artificial joint, physical therapy and daily at-home exercises are necessary for the best surgical outcomes.
Although the majority of patients agree that they would have the surgery again, some temporary pain and swelling are involved during the healing process. The pain resolves as your body adjusts to the artificial joint and your support structures become stronger. For joint replacement, the healing process can take a few months.
In some cases, the team at Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Centers can quicken your healing process after a joint replacement with innovative treatments.
Are there alternatives to joint replacement?
Joint replacement surgeries used to be a last-resort procedure. Patients are encouraged to try all less invasive options, including over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy, and trigger point injections. Surgery is only a viable option when these treatments fail to bring joint pain relief.
With today’s modern medicine, surgery may not be the only option to repair cartilage degeneration and joint injury. Depending on the severity of your condition, your activity level, and your general health, alternatives may help relieve your pain and heal your joint enough that surgery is no longer necessary.
Contact the Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Centers to learn more about improving your joints. Call the office, or request your appointment online today.