Know when to consider knee replacement surgery

Problems in the knees can affect your entire lifestyle and all your moves such as walking, running, climbing stairs, lying down or even sitting. Some doctors consider that surgery can help in bringing relief to the patients but then the other options must also be tried before jumping right onto the surgery. Some of the alternative methods that you can opt in case of knee pain are medications that you can take by mouth, ointments that you can rub onto the skin and shots which can be directly injected into the joints. These medications and shots can take up a couple of months to have their full effect and also its effect can last for almost 6 months.

Other alternates that you can try are:

Physical therapy and exercise – Any kind of physical exercise would strengthen the muscles which support knees and this is also recommended by the best knee replacement doctor in India. Physical therapy helps big time and physiotherapist can also create a program for your workout and find out if you need some kind of support such as splints, canes or supportive braces. For some people, this problem can also start if they are obese so if you need to lose weight then you can also take the help of the dietician and lose those extra pounds so that the pressure from your knees can be taken off.

Weight loss – Weight gain can lead to immense pressure on your knees so in case you are facing trouble in your knees due to your obesity then, in that case, you can lose that extra weight and give a little relief to your knees. It would also make you stronger. Chances are that you might not need a knee replacement surgery after you lose weight and achieve the required body weight as per your height.

Nutritional supplements – Some people prefer to take supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin and these have mixed results but have been effective to people. These work well as pain relievers and these may also have fewer side effects. These can also be bought over the counter and but these take longer to work. You can always consult your doctor before you start including any of these supplements in your diet. These could be natural as well but you can still consult your doctor and he can guide you in case there could be any kind of side effects.

Knee Replacement Surgery – By now if you have tried all the other treatment options and still you are enduring knee pain, then the best knee replacement doctor in India may also suggest knee replacement surgery. It would not only help reduce pain but also can improve the movement. This surgery involves getting rid of all or part of the joint and then replacing this damaged joint with an artificial joint made up of plastics and metals. It may take a lot of time for full recovery, but surely it would bring relief for many years to come. You might need a knee replacement surgery in case you have:

Severe knee pain that restricts your routine activities