This post is part of The Ultimate Guide to Total Knee Replacement
Knee arthritis can be extremely uncomfortable and easily affect your quality of life. Whether you are simply walking to your car, doing some gardening or even sitting or lying down, your knee may be causing you a lot of pain.
No one needs to live with knee pain.
Knee replacement may be an option when nonsurgical treatment has failed to provide knee pain relief.
Symptoms of needing knee replacement surgery
- Pain during activity
Pain in your knee that heightens with activity and lessens with rest. - Delayed knee pain
Pain that comes on after activity and lasts for a few days. - Pain that interrupts sleep
If your knee pain is keeping you up at night or wakes you up during sleep. - Instability
Your knee becomes looser and feels like it’s “giving way” and could cause you to fall. - Bone on bone arthritis
Your knee X-rays show bone touching bone somewhere in the knee. - Limited knee movement
If your knee won’t bend after standing for a long period of time, if it catches while you are walking or if you can’t stand up after sitting. - Visual changes in your knee
Inflammation can cause visual changes in the appearance of your knee. - Lifestyle limitations
If you find yourself saying no to your favorite activities such as hiking with your grandchildren or working in the yard because of knee pain.
Doctors generally try to delay total knee replacement for as long as possible with non-surgical options including weight loss, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, steroid injections, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections or orthobiologic therapies.
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms of needing knee replacement surgery, you may want to make an appointment with a total joint specialist.
“Most knee problems don’t require a knee replacement. There are a variety of other treatments available including physical therapy, weight loss, steroid injections and anti-inflammatory medications,” says Dr. David Fisher, a total joint specialist at OrthoIndy.
“There is usually no rush to having knee replacement surgery, and it is entirely the patient’s decision based on their quality of life, but the majority of patients are happy they had the procedure and wish they had the operation sooner.”
Only you can decide if you are ready for knee replacement surgery; however, the sooner you seek care for your knee pain, the sooner you can return to your favorite hobbies.
Learn more about joint replacement surgery at OrthoIndy.
Schedule an appointment
Your well-being is important to us. Click the button below or call us to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists. If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.
