When you visit your osteopath for help with an arthritic joint, you probably want to avoid joint replacement surgery. Osteopaths can help with arthritis, and in the earlier stages we aim to slow or stop the progress of the condition. However, there are cases where a joint replacement remains the best solution. This might be the case if the arthritis is particularly progressed, or if there are other factors at play that unavoidably increase load on the joint. Of course, there are also other reasons for a joint replacement, such as other forms of arthritis or infection.

The Waiting Period

Waiting lists have always been quite long, but delays are now longer than ever. Your osteopath can help you get through the waiting period with as much function and comfort as possible. Although we cannot prescribe or recommend medication, we can work alongside your GP in your pain management. It may be appropriate for you to use pain relief beyond your treatments - we can take this into account and potentially get more out of your sessions. When your pain is dulled, we may be able to work into the joint with less muscle resistance, making more progress than we would if you were in more discomfort.

Prehabilitation

Prehabilitation is a term to describe management before surgery. It may involve treatment, exercises, and education. The aims are to maximise joint health, function, and comfort in the meantime.

Beyond the benefits of moving better in the interim, the healthier the area before surgery, the better the healing. Education and understanding have been shown to be important in recovery too. The more confidence you have in your body’s ability before the operation, the easier it will be to get moving again.

Osteopathy is holistic, so we will look at your body as a whole. We will look for problems elsewhere that may be placing additional demand on the joint in question. If we can resolve these adaptations ahead of your surgery, recovery should be that much easier.

Rehabilitation

After your surgery, you will be given a rehabilitation program. This will likely involve demonstration by a physiotherapist around discharge. You will then be responsible for carrying out your exercises and other management strategies yourself. We can support you in your exercises, as well as providing additional treatment to complement your rehab plan.

Beyond your standard exercises, we will look at how your body adapts as it heals. It wouldn’t be surprising to find that you develop a mild limp in the early stages of recovery, but sometimes these changes are hard to spot yourself. By catching it early we can help to get you back on track before there are any knock on effects.

You may have follow up appointments with your physiotherapist, but this is not always the case. We are happy to take on the role of monitoring and adapting your exercises as you improve. Strengthening exercises in particular will need to be upgraded over time, adding more challenges as appropriate to fully rehabilitate the area.

Make an appointment to support your joint replacement in Flitwick here.