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June 22, 2004

Knee Replacement

The New York Times reports that knee replacement surgeries are 90% successful. And they're 80% successful after 20 years. Many people avoid or put off the surgery until they're almost immobile. Reasons for the delay range from fear of the exercises which are painful to age to fear of complications because of other conditions.

There are ways to avoid having your knees where out. Overweight patients can reduce strain by dropping pounds. Two supplements, glucosamine and chondroitin, may rebuild cartilage, but while there is some evidence they work, their benefits have not been proven. Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee, cortisone injections for pain or hyaluronan injections that increase the joint's viscosity.

Speed of recovery has improved over the past 10 years because it has been proven to be safe to push mobility in the knee sooner.

I mentioned a client of mine who had the surgery done a couple of months ago. He's doing very well, seeing improvements every week. He still has swelling and pain as the attachments to the appliance heal, but no pain in the joint. I'm doing mostly lymph drainage with him and some massage for muscle compensation.

Posted by linda at June 22, 2004 8:21 AM