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Factoid: The most frequent reason cited for joint replacement surgery was to relieve the pain and disability caused by severe arthritis.*
Source: National Center for Health Statistics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey.
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Joint replacement surgery is a procedure that seeks to relieve severe pain and improve the mobility of a painful or damaged joint, getting you back to living your independent, active life.
It's about the quality of your life.Although it's certainly not the only cause, the most common reason for joint pain is arthritis, a condition that affects the structures that make up a joint, causing them to become inflamed or damaged. This damage and inflammation may lead to pain, stiffness and difficulty moving the joint. Therapies like pain medication work for a while, but often their effectiveness lessens over time. When this happens many doctors recommend surgery as the next step.
How Do You Know if it's Time for Surgery?Deciding to have surgery is a big decision. How will you and your doctor know when it's time to consider joint replacement?
- Are you unable to sleep because of the pain?
- Have you tried a series of different medications that don't help alleviate the pain, or does the medication you have been taking no longer work?
- Do you feel that the pain is keeping you from regular outings such as visiting friends, going shopping or taking a vacation?
- Is your activity restricted to the point where you have trouble getting out of a chair, climbing stairs, getting off the toilet or getting up from the floor?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, and especially if you are experiencing more than one of these scenarios, talk to your doctor. The two of you may decide that joint replacement surgery is an option to reduce pain and help your joints function the way they used to, so you can get back to doing the things you enjoy.
POH Joint Club can get you moving again.
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