Should I delay joint replacement surgery?
Joint replacement surgery is a common treatment for severe arthritis. Hip replacement and knee replacement are the most frequently replaced joints. Patients are often told by their doctor to wait as long as possible before having a joint replacement.
However, if the doctor says it's time to have a joint replacement, is there harm in waiting? Do you need to have a joint replacement at that time, or can it wait? Patients are often worried that the situation may worsen to a point that may make treatment even more difficult. Is this true?
Related: To young for joint replacement? | Knee Replacement | Hip Replacement
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Important Things To Avoid After Hip Replacement
Hip replacement surgery is a treatment for severe arthritis of the hip joint. Patients who commit to hip replacement surgery must understand that there are some changes they will have to adapt to for the rest of their life. The trade-off for the patients is that they will likely have a significant decrease in hip pain and disability. Learn about the important hip precautions after hip replacement surgery.
Related: All About Hip Replacement | Hip Arthritis
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ACL Knee Braces
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of four major ligaments in the knee. ACL tears may require surgical treatment to reconstruct the torn ligament. Many patients are given a knee brace after ACL reconstruction surgery. How necessary are the knee braces used after ACL reconstruction? What if I didn't get a knee brace after ACL reconstruction, should I be wearing a knee brace?
Related: All You Need To Know About ACL Tears | Do I need to have ACL surgery? | ACL Rehab
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Do cortisone injections hurt?
Injections are often used in orthopedics for the treatment of many conditions. Cortisone is the most frequently used medication for injections, but other medications can also be used for a variety of orthopedic conditions. Problems often treated with a cortisone injection include:
Many patients are concerned about getting a cortisone injection. Patients are usually worried about the pain associated with the steroid shot. However, with a few simple steps, cortisone injections can be performed with minimal discomfort.
Related: Side-Effects of Cortisone | How many cortisone injections can I have? | Synvisc Injections
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Can you get arthritis in your back?
Arthritis is a problem that causes wear and tear in the joints of the body. Many people may not realize that the back is made up of dozens of small joints, and these joints are just as susceptible to arthritis as other joints in the body. In fact, arthritis of the back is one of the most common causes of back pain.
Arthritis in the back can cause pain, stiffness, and nerve irritation. But having arthritis of the back does not necessarily mean a lifetime of back pain. In fact, with a few simple treatments, most patients will find relief of their back symptoms.
Related: Back Stiffness | Back Pain | Tingling & Numbness
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How To Avoid Infections
Infection is an especially devastating complication after certain surgical procedures, such as joint replacement surgery. If an infection develops after joint replacement, it can mean that the entire joint replacement implant needs to be removed to allow the infection to resolve.
Related: Complications of Joint Replacement | Infection After Joint Replacement
Do you want another reason to stop smoking?
Smoking cigarettes has long been known to have detrimental effects on the body, contributing to problems such as heart disease and lung cancer. Do you need yet another reason to kick the cigarette habit? How about the health of your bones...
Research has also shown that smoking cigarettes has significant effects on the bones that make up your skeleton. This is important for all of us, but will become even more important if you should ever have a fracture of your bone. Then, you could be in trouble...
Related: How To Stop Smoking | How To Speed Bone Healing
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Am I too old for joint replacement?
Joint replacement surgery is a common treatment for severe arthritis. Hip replacement and knee replacement are the most frequently replaced joints. These surgeries are most often done in patients between the ages of 55 to 80, but they can be performed in patients in their 80s and 90s.
There is no age limit to have a joint replacement surgery. If fact, age has little to do with the decision making for when to have joint replacement surgery...
Related: To young for joint replacement? | Knee Replacement | Hip Replacement
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Small Incision Surgery
There is some controversy about small incision surgery, and whether or not some procedures are being performed on problems better treated with a traditional surgery. Smaller incisions often allow for faster healing, quicker rehab, and other benefits. But this needs to be balanced with the ability to correct the underlying problem.
Related: Mini-Hip Replacements | Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repairs
Can you blame your parents for arthritis?
For decades, osteoarthritis was described as a condition of aging. The attitude regarding osteoarthritis, for the most part, was "such is life". Within the last decade, the message became more hopeful.
It is now realized that osteoarthritis resembles joint damage that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis. Abnormal chemicals cause joint damage in osteoarthritis too. Genetics may play an important role in the development of osteoarthritis, and may help guide future treatments. Read more from Carol and Richard Eustice, About.com Guides to Osteoarthritis.
Related: What causes arthritis? | What are the different types of arthritis?
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