Now that the baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age, we’ve been hearing a lot more about joint replacement surgery. Technology has come a long way since the 1940’s and there are plenty of exciting new options out there for patients.

Most candidates for joint replacement are suffering from arthritis and live their daily lives under a tremendous amount of pain. There are many ways to manage arthritis but when therapy isn’t enough, patients can turn to their doctors for possible joint replacement. Having a joint replaced sounds daunting and can be frightening but, with the right knowledge patients can have a much more informative discussion with their surgeon and feel more confident before going under the knife.

Most patients don’t realize it but, there are a lot of options when it comes to having a knee, hip or shoulder replaced. There are many different companies out there that offer a wide variety of products that can help a patient live a more active, pain-free life. Some brief research is all it takes to get informed about an upcoming surgery or even to see if you should talk to your doctor about joint replacement.

While joint replacement is successful for a majority of patients, it definitely isn’t without its complications. Joint replacement does require a hospital stay and months of therapy which can sometimes be painful. However, once patients make it through the therapy and follow their doctors instructions, most people wonder why they waited so long to have it done. Most patients are rid of pain, have a greater range of motion in their joint and find that they are able to do activities they haven’t enjoyed in years.

Stay tuned here and I will share some of the new advances in technology for joint replacement, questions you should ask your doctor about joint replacement surgery, suggestions on how to manage arthritis and more! Just remember, knowledge is power so do plenty of research but, always rely on your surgeon to provide the best advice for your individual needs.