Is It Time for a Joint Replacement? Here’s How to Know

Feeling pain or discomfort while doing your favorite activities can be disheartening (to say the least). But there are things you can do to ease joint pain as you age — even options that initially might sound scary, like joint replacement surgery.

Nicolas Hernandez, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at UW Medicine’s Hip & Knee Center at Meridian Pavilion, is ready to answer the most common questions about joint replacement.

What is joint replacement?

Joint replacement, also known as arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure that replaces all or part of a joint to help ease your pain and improve movement.

Basically, what you’re doing is you’re removing the worn out, damaged arthritic joint, and you’re replacing it so it can move freely and does not have the same pain,” says Hernandez.

Your orthopedic surgeon will replace it with an artificial joint made of metal, plastic or ceramic. Hip and knee joints are common areas that can be replaced using arthroplasty, but surgeons can also replace damaged shoulders, ankles, elbows, wrists and fingers.

When should you consider joint replacement?

Generally, before considering joint replacement, you’ve already tried a variety of nonsurgical treatments like physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medications or activity modifications. However, if you’ve tried all of those and are still experiencing pain, swelling, stiffness and instability, then it might be time to talk to your doc about surgical options — especially if you’re dealing with arthritis (the most common reason for arthroplasty).

We've got you

Remember: Joint replacement surgery doesn’t have to be scary, and it can be a great option if you want to get back to doing the things you love. It won’t be long now before you’re hitting the trails again.