Surgery for Arthritis
Arthritis is usually a chronic condition and sometimes can lead to
disability. However, there are many ways you and your doctor can lessen
these problems. One of the ways may be surgery. Joint surgery can offer
several benefits:
- Relief of pain is the most important benefit of
joint surgery. Many people with arthritis have constant pain. Some of
this pain can be relieved by rest, heat and cold treatments, exercise,
splints, and medication. When these therapies don't lessen the pain,
surgery may be considered.
- Improved movement and use
of a joint are also important benefits of joint surgery. Continuous
inflammation and the wearing away of bone and cartilage can cause
joints, tendons, and ligaments to become damaged or pulled out of
place. Losing the use of a joint, such as a hip, knee, hand, elbow or
shoulder, can seriously hamper a person's activities. When this
happens, surgery to replace or stabilize the joint may be suggested.
- An improvement in the appearance of deformed joints, especially in the hand, can be expected with some types of surgery.
To learn more about surgery for arthritis, try reading the Basics of Surgery for Arthritis article, or read through the list on the left to find an article about surgery for a specific area of the body.
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