IS IT CRITICAL TO HAVE A HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY?
Dealing with hip pain is not often easy. Not only can it cause inflammation, stiffness and soreness, but can also hinder you from performing your day-to-day activities like moving and walking.
If you’ve been suffering from hip pain for a long time, you must definitely be considering surgery. But how can you be absolutely sure that hip replacement surgery is the right choice for you?
SIGNS PROVING THAT YOU NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT
Similar to most types of other treatment, you should go with more conventional treatments first before considering surgery. Hip pain can be soothed by using anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen. Also, the use of crutches and walkers can help increase mobility and create ease in walking.
According to most hip replacement surgeon in Pakistan, hip replacement surgery is only considered a good idea when exercise, therapy or pain medications are unable to reduce your hip pain or make it easier for you to move around.
- Pain medication and physical therapy are not working for you.
While for some people, relief from hip pain can be easily achieved through pain medication, we must not forget that medication can have long-lasting and unpleasant side effects. This includes a decreased appetite as well as sleepiness. Further, these medicines can often be addictive, making you function while being dependent upon them. In a country like Pakistan, dealing with these side effects can be really hard, and that too when medication isn’t able to provide you with the desired relief.
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Your day-to-day activities and the mood, in general, is affected because of hip pain.
Does your hip pain make it difficult to climb stairs, go grocery shopping, bend or even walk? Do you feel irritated or depressed most of the time because of your hip pain? These signs are proof enough that hip replacement surgery would be a good treatment option for you.
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Your hip hurts even when you’re resting.
Hip pain and irritation in the hip joints can be caused by physical movements like using the stairs or walking. If this is what happens, you can take a break from any type of movement and that will help ease your hip pain. However, if your hip is hurting even when you are resting during the night or daytime, you should want to consider surgery.
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Knowing that it is the hip that is causing your pain.
Sometimes the actual cause of pain around the hip is in fact pain in the knee or the back. If this is the case, hip replacement surgery would be of no use to you. Any hip replacement surgeon in Pakistan can help you identify this. To detect the source of your pain, the doctor will numb your hip. Afterwards, if you’re still feeling pain in your hip, this means that the real culprit is actually your knee or your back and you should not go for the hip replacement surgery.
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You have a damaged hip joint.
If your doctor has already examined and confirmed that your hip joint is damaged or deformed, it may be a good idea to consider hip replacement surgery. Over time, damaged joints can get worse. Waiting too long can make it more difficult for a doctor to fix them.
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You are suffering from severe arthritis in your hip.
Your hip joints can be affected by different types of arthritis. These include ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis. If your arthritis has already caused severe damage to your hip joints, surgery can help. Getting back to your regular activities and relief from the pain will be much easier if you go through hip replacement surgery.
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It has become hard to move or lift your leg because of stiffness.
If there is so much stiffness in your hip joints that it’s hard to lift or even move your leg, this may be a sign that your best option now is hip replacement surgery.
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You want a long-lasting relief from the pain.
While most treatments for hip pain are only temporary, surgery can be a long-term solution. Injections provide relief for a couple of months. Pain medications only work for a few hours. On the other hand, hip replacement surgery lasts for decades. More than 85 per cent of artificial hip joints being used in hip replacement surgeries have a life of over 20 years.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY?
Your hip joint is made up of a ball that rests on top of a socket right above your femur (thigh bone). When going through hip replacement surgery, your surgeon will use metal and plastic materials to replace your damaged ball and socket.
These artificial materials help your hip joint regain their normal function so your hip can move and glide easily.
WHAT IS THE NORMAL RECOVERY PERIOD AFTER GOING THROUGH A HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY?
For most people, three to six weeks is a sufficient period to get back to their light daily activities after a hip replacement surgery. However, any hip replacement surgeon in Pakistan would advise you not to twist or pivot your legs for a period of at least six months up to a year.
The best you can do to help fasten your recovery process is to stick to your physical therapy routine. Your physical therapist or doctor will ask you to do specific exercises every day which will aid you in a smooth recovery.
It can be harder to recover for people who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, or lung problems. It would be much easier for you if you have a full-time attendant checking on you for the first several weeks after your surgery.
