Have you caught yourself thinking, “do I need a joint replacement?”. If so, chances are this thought hasn’t danced through your mind on a whim. Chances are you’ve been dealing with arthritis, joint pain, and reduced mobility for some time. If this sounds like you, read on. We’ll be detailing the perks of going ahead with a hip or knee replacement, revealing the physical and emotional symptoms that point to now being the right time, and walking you through the next steps toward creating a healthier you.

Reasons Why Hip or Knee Surgery Could Be the Best Next Move:

Sooner is Better Than Later—If you’ve been suffering with pain and arthritis, there is research that shows sooner is better than later. Putting of the inevitable can cause your joint bone and cartilage to break down further. A study cited by John Hopkins University found that patients who reported poorer joint function at the time of surgery also had worse function two years after orthopedic surgery. In other words, the worse you let your osteoarthritis get, the slower your knee replacement recovery or hip replacement recovery will be and the poorer your overall function may be.

Joints Are Lasting Longer Than Ever—Historically, those with joint pain were told to “hold off” from surgery as long as possible. This was largely because the expected lifetime of an artificial joint was about 10 years. Today, the artificial joints themselves are more durable than ever with 80% of joint replacements lasting past the 20-year mark.

Technique is Better Than Ever—In the same way that the implants themselves are more durable, healthy and natural-feeling than ever, today’s surgical techniques are unparalleled. With each passing year, surgeons are performing more hip and knee replacements than the year prior and are doing so with greater specialization, better tools and cutting-edge technology. These leaps and bounds are reflected in the fact that average hospital stay after surgery has gone down from 10 days in 1990, to five days in 2000, to just one to three days today.

Improve Your Quality of Life—Unfortunately, the overwhelming trend when it comes to joint pain and arthritis is that it usually doesn’t go away on its own. In fact, with time, it almost always gets worse. If your hip or knee is limiting your ability to work, do the activities you love and is affecting your overall quality of life, jumping on board with a game-changing surgery could be the best decision you can make for your future self.

Next Steps

Consider scheduling— Is now a good time for you? Are you at your wits end? Despite common anxiety, are you economically, physically and mentally prepared to embark on this journey? Do you have a realistic understanding of the hip and knee replacement recovery timeline? Although we’ve mentioned that sooner can be better than later, the most important thing is that you’re at your mental and physical best on surgery day—this brings us to our next step.

Start PreHab Immediately— If you’ve scheduled surgery, the next step is to get started on a PreHab program as soon as possible. The more time you have to get your body and mind in the best place possible through PreHab exercises, boosting your body’s healing through superfoods, and breaking bad habits, the more control you have in steering your outcome in the right direction.

If you have any questions, reach out to one of the Physical Therapists at 305 967-8976 or 954 458-5700. We’d be happy to answer the questions you might have and start your PreHab program ASAP.