What Are the Alternatives to Knee Replacement Surgery?

If you are having problems with one or both of your knees, you may be at the point that you are ready to throw in the towel and go through the process getting an artificial knee. Hold that thought, there are alternatives to knee replacement surgery. This procedure should always be a last resort. You want to make sure you have put a good effort into exploring your other options before you go under the knife. Knee surgery can come along with a difficult and painful recovery period, so before you take this drastic measure investigate all the choices available.

When you visit the doctor to discuss your painful knee, the first suggestion you are likely to get is to lose weight. When you carry around excess weight, you place undue pressure on your joints. Over time, this pressure can wear down your knees. Just losing 10% of your body weight can bring enormous relief to your aching knees. Your doctor may also refer you to a nutritionist help you lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

If your pain is not related to weight, your doctor will look towards exercise as an alternative to knee replacement surgery. Exercise, in proper amounts, can do wonders for your body. You can strengthen the muscles around your sore joints to improve function and reduce pain. Exercising will increase your flexibility and improve the blood flow around your knees and other joints. When implementing a plan to improve the function of the knees, be sure you select low-impact activities. If your knees are in pain from high-impact workouts, your doctor will probably recommend you cut back on those activities to allow your knees to rest and heal.

You many need to add some type of pain medication to your diet and exercise plan to manage problematic knees. There are many different forms and levels of both over the counter and prescription medicines that can alleviate pain. Collaborate with your physician to come up with an appropriate plan for your situation. There are other surgical alternatives to knee replacement that might work, should you have exhausted the non-invasive treatments. These involve removing excess cartilage and realigning the bones in the knee joint. If you and your doctor do make the decision to have total knee replacement surgery, be sure to have a quality recovery program in place.

Following knee replacement surgery you will have a strict doctor ordered rehabilitation program. Unfortunately, this rehab program is only enough to give you some of you mobility and life back. They don't expect people with total knee replacements to have full flexibility like they once did, so they don't even try. With the right exercises and routines, though, you can have that life back, despite what the doctors tell you. Take the time to learn about rehabilitation from knee replacement surgery, and how you can ease your fear of living a sedentary life by taking action now.