Six Signs that It May Be Time to Talk to Your Doctor About Joint Replacement Surgery

Too often people suffer and live with joint pain. But once they experience joint replacement surgery, many of them wish they had done it earlier. If you’re one of thousands of individuals in America who experience chronic pain in the knees, shoulders or hips, you may want to consider talking to a doctor about joint replacement surgery. The sooner you talk to an expert, the sooner you’ll get the help you need to get back to living your best life possible. So don’t wait. Consider these six signs, from the orthopaedic experts at Covenant HealthCare, to see if you should talk to a doctor about joint replacement surgery today.

1. Medications are not effective. Are you taking pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs to ease your pain? Perhaps the medication once provided pain relief, but is no longer as effective as it used to be. Talk to a doctor if you’re taking strong medication, but still experiencing severe joint pain.


2. Non-surgical treatments don’t reduce the pain. The first line of treatment for joint pain is always non-surgical. Besides medications, this may include cortisone injections, lubricating injections, physical therapy and using a brace. These non-surgical treatments can help, but may not be enough for those suffering chronic joint pain.


3. It’s painful to perform daily tasks. Is it difficult for you to do everyday tasks? Individuals with severe joint pain may have a hard time reaching overhead, behind their backs, getting out of bed, bending down or climbing the stairs. Joint replacement surgery could help eliminate the severe pain, so you won’t be limited while doing daily activities.


4. You experience severe pain day and night. Are you experiencing pain throughout the day, even when you’re at rest? Is the pain also keeping you up all night? If you’re experiencing joint pain around the clock, it may be time to have the joint replaced.


5. The pain is decreasing your quality of life. Don’t let joint pain stop you from enjoying some of your favorite activities. Sometimes, the pain can be so severe that it can feel like it’s holding you back from some of your hopes and dreams. For example, it may limit your ability to travel or opportunities to try new things. Instead of focusing on things you want to do, joint pain can oftentimes force you to think about what you can’t do.


6. You are 50 years old or older. Joint pain is oftentimes caused by arthritis, and is most common in people 50 years of age and older. While age is not necessarily a defining factor, most patients over the age of 50 who are living with joint pain have already explored non-surgical solutions. Depending on how severe the joint pain is, it is possible that individuals younger than 50 years old need to undergo joint replacement surgery.

If you’re experiencing one or more of these signs, it’s time to talk to a doctor about joint replacement surgery. At Covenant HealthCare, our board certified surgeons can help you explore alternative, non-surgical methods before deciding whether or not surgery is right for you. So talk to one of our orthopaedic surgeons today. Your journey to recovery begins with a conversation.

Posted Date: 2/3/2016