If you are considering surgery, which is related to arthritis, then it is worth doing a little research. You may be able to postpone the operation with some sensible and careful management of the situation.
Particularly for Osteo Arthritis sufferers, weight loss is one major way that you could help to put off that knee surgery. Basic, but common sense! The other advantage of weight loss, is that it can lead to fewer complications during surgery, if it is eventually necessary. It also helps in the post op period when there would be considerably less strain on the new joints.
Of course the Anti Arthritis Diet will help you lose weight, as well as control the arthritis in the first place. Hopefully avoiding the need for any operations at all.
Exercise is another way of helping the inflamed joints. If the muscles that support the joint are strong and healthy, this can help to relieve much of the stress. Again post op recovery would be much quicker if the muscles surrounding the joint (especially the knees), are strong and healthy.
It is possible to wear supports or braces, especially for the knees, these could also help you put off the surgery for a while, and they would probably have to be fitted by an expert. Please ask your own doctor.
Many people swear that taking Glucosamine and chrondroitin has improved their condition immensely. Both of these help to repaair the cartilage within the joint.
If you have severe damage to the joints, then surgery may be the only option, especially if the damage has caused the joint to become mal-formed. This in turn can cause stress to the "good" joints as you then tend to favour them a lot more!
If there is an advantage to joint surgery, it is that you can take your time to make the right decision. If you have heart problems and need a "By-pass" then there is no waiting time, it has to be done!
Of course you will have to factor in the amount of pain that you are have, or that the restriction to your mobility might be the governing factor, but the surgery is not "urgent" in a life threatening sense. It may be that you have to organize the operation around your work schedule, your sporting commitments, or your holidays.
It is even possible to have some key hole surgery on the knees, to help in the short term, but all this has to be determined by your own doctor or specialist.
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