Joint pain treatment options in McKinney
When pain affects your lifestyle, you should talk to your doctor or seek a referral to one of the orthopedic specialists on the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – McKinney medical staff to determine if joint replacement is right for you.
Your doctor may first try conservative treatments to relieve joint pain, including:
- Medications to reduce inflammation
- Walking aids
- Physical therapy and exercise
Is joint replacement right for you?
You may be a candidate for joint replacement surgery if:
- Conservative treatments do not relieve symptoms
- Pain or limited range of motion affects daily activities
- You avoid using the affected joint
If you are older and worried about joint replacement surgery, talk to your doctor.
Research has shown that even if you are older, joint replacement can restore movement and help you feel better.
In fact, studies show that patients over 55 who have had total knee and total joint replacement surgeries still function well after 20 years.
Hip resurfacing, an alternative for younger patients
Younger patients with hip joint damage may be a candidate for a procedure called hip resurfacing, which leaves more bone intact than a total joint replacement.
Joint revision
Joint revision surgery can help relieve pain and restore function in joints that have undergone a previous procedure.
It's not unusual for artificial hip, shoulder, elbow and knee joints to require revision.
The need for revision can arise for a variety of reasons, including:
Normal wear of an artificial joint
Most prostheses have a life of 10 to 20 years. As time passes, an artificial joint may fit less securely and lose effectiveness or break.
Pain
Any pain or discomfort that persists after recovery from a joint procedure may indicate one or more problems and could be a reason to consider revision.
Infection of surrounding tissue
Infection can cause weakness or damage to the joint.
Structural defects
Debris from components of an artificial joint can cause problems.
Musculoskeletal tumors
This serious condition in the joint or surrounding soft tissue can lead to functional impairment.
Anterior hip replacement
For many people, the only option for relief is a conventional total hip replacement done through the posterior (back) or lateral (side) of the body.
At Baylor Scott & White – McKinney, we believe in options. That’s why we offer anterior hip replacement, a proven, minimally invasive technique that usually minimizes pain and the time from surgery to recovery.
Anterior hip replacement offers many potential benefits:
- It allows the surgeon to get to the hip joint from the front of the hip rather than having to cut and then reattach muscles around the hip.
- The hip is reached by working through natural openings between muscles. By not having to cut the muscles, there is usually decreased pain and healing time.
- Patients are allowed to bend their hip freely post-operatively and can bear full weight as soon as comfortable, resulting in a more rapid return to normal function.
- The HANA® operating table makes it easier to access the hip through a small incision.
Joint surgery guides
A notebook specific to your orthopedic surgery has been prepared by the joint wellness team to aid in your recovery. Download the joint surgery guide that's right for you by clicking one of the following links.