Knee replacement is considered a major surgery and there are many factors to consider first before making a decision. It is a question that cannot be answered easily. Rather, it requires you and your orthopaedic surgeon to sit down and ponder through all the possible options available to you before deciding on it. What exactly is knee replacement surgery? How do you know if you require knee replacement surgery?
Oral medications do not work
Your doctor will usually prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen Sodium to help make the pain more bearable and reduce inflammation. However, these drugs are only able to help counteract the pain to a certain extent and they do not treat your knee condition. You should not be consuming drugs for the rest of your life as they might harm your body. After a certain time span and it has no effect, surgery will be required.
Physical therapy has little effect
Oral medication will often be accompanied by physical therapy sessions. Physical therapy helps to build up the muscles around the knee, strengthening them so that they can better support your knee. It also helps to make the knee joint much more flexible and restore joint mobility. However, when this still does not help, surgery will be required.
Daily activities are limited
When simple daily activities are severely limited due to knee pain, surgery may be the only option left. You do not want your quality of life to be affected by your knee and there is always the option of knee replacement surgery. Some patients may not even be able to sleep as the pain will keep them up throughout the night. For others, simple actions such as walking may also be a chore.
You wish to engage in competitive sports
This is the most common reason for total knee replacement surgery. Athletes who wish to continue engaging in competitive sports will definitely require surgery to replace the damaged joints with artificial biomaterials in order to regain near full strength and mobility.
There are many reasons for one to undergo knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery is a major surgery and requires one to consider many factors before deciding on it. It does not come cheap and for most patients, physical therapy and medication will usually suffice. If you are seeking a return to sports, knee surgery may be the only viable option for you.
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