10 Signs You Might Need to Have a Knee Replacement
Your knees are considered one of the hardest working joints in the body. They allow you to bend, jump, run and perform other physical activities. Still, you can experience knee pain and stiffness as you get older. In this article, you have compiled a list of signs indicating you need to get your knees replaced soon!
Do You Need Knees Replacement – 10 Potential Signs
Below are some of the potential signs:
1. Chronic Knee Pain
Do you have severe or chronic knee pain that cannot be relieved with common medication or rest? Severe knee pain is probably the most common sign indicating patients are required to seek treatments from orthopedic specialists.
2. Ineffective Knee Treatments
To get rid of knee pain, you can try several other treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications and a weight-loss diet. If these treatments have failed to offer any pain relief, having knee replacement surgery may be your only suitable option.
3. Unable To Perform Day-To-Day Tasks
While some people can manage their knee pain by doing low-impact physical activities or resting, as soon as they try to do a strenuous task, they feel excruciating pain in their knee. If your knee pain is not allowing you to do your daily chores or activities, maybe it is time to talk to an orthopedic and consider getting your knees replaced.
4. Bone On Bone Arthritis
If arthritis is present in your knee and it has developed to a point where there’s no gap between the bones, you may require complete or partial surgery.
5. Knee Instability
If you feel instability in your knee, your knee puts you at risk of falling or giving way when you walk. Knee instability can greatly increase the chances of a serious injury, and on most occasions, total or partial surgery is required to cure the instability.
6. Knee Deformity
A deformity in your knee, such as a knocked knee or a bowed leg, can lead to pain by putting extra pressure on the knee joint. Total or partial surgery for replacing knees can relieve the pain by correcting the deformity in the knee.
7. Swollen Knee
If you have a swollen knee, it is a sign that your knee is not responding well to treatments. A knee that is swollen even after a patient takes anti-inflammatory medicines, and steroid injections have cartilage degeneration. The best treatment for a swollen knee is usually proper surgery.
8. Age
Knee surgery is usually done in people older than 60 because young individuals may put too much stress on the artificial knee and damage it. However, there are no hard and fast rules, doctors also perform knee surgeries on people under the age of 60, but it all depends on the patient’s circumstances.
9. Knee Pain At Night
If you have excruciating knee pain that wakes you up at night or doesn’t let you sleep, this is a sign that you have severe pain, and surgery is the only suitable option for relieving that pain.
10. Change In Appearance
If your knee has suffered no trauma but has a different appearance, it might be time to see an orthopedic. Normally, the appearance can change due to several factors, but the best treatment for it is a timely surgery.
If you are struggling to find a good clinic for your surgery, look no further than Inspirahealth. This medical facility offers high-quality medical services.
Exercises To Try After Your Surgery
You need to exercise properly to recover from the surgery. Following exercises that you can try after your knee surgery:
1. Heel Slides
In this exercise, you will need to engage your gluteal and quadricep muscles and increase the range of motion in your knee. This exercise can improve the mobility and flexibility of the knee.
2. Ankle Pumps
Ankle Pump exercises strengthen and stretches ankle and calf muscles and can reduce post-surgical knee swelling. This exercise will also prevent blood clots and improve blood circulation in the knee.
Estimated Recovery Time
Every patient recovers at their pace; here are some common timeframes:
- 4 to 6 weeks – Within 4-6 weeks after your surgery, there is a good chance that you will be able to walk for 10 minutes or more without any assistive device, crutches, or walker.
- 8 to 12 weeks – Some therapy programs can last for 8 to 12 weeks, and at this stage, you should be able to walk for a long period and can even try hobbies such as cycling and swimming.
Conclusion
There are numerous signs indicating you need to get your knees replaced, such as knee pain, swelling, bone arthritis, and so on. Above, we have discussed these symptoms in detail with a possible solution to get rid of stiffness and knee pain!
