Joint replacement surgery is often championed as a way to reduce joint pain and to help improve mobility, but it also has one oft overlooked benefit – the fact that it can greatly help reduce your fall risk. This is especially important when you consider that falls are the most common reason for an emergency room trip for patients over the age of 65.
Falls are a hidden danger associated with limited joint function. You might think that you’re just compensating for pain or discomfort because of your worn hip or knee joint, but there’s a lot more to it than that. You may not be able to flex your hip as easily or maneuver your toes as freely, and these little inabilities can make all the different when you’re navigating stairs or trying to maintain your balance.
Another issue associated with fall risk is that many individuals do not see themselves as at risk for a fall, and that can in turn put them at a higher risk for a fall. Nobody likes to acknowledge that they are just one missed step away from a devastating fall, but if we don’t confront the reality put forth by our joint degeneration, we could be putting ourselves at a heightened risk for one of these falls. So if you’re worried about a friend or family member’s fall risk and they’ve spoken about their hip or knee pain, consider seeing if they’d be willing to set up a consultation with a joint replacement specialist, because ridding them of their joint pain can also help reduce their fall risk.
Fall Risk and Joint Replacement
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons attempted to learn more about the association between joint replacement surgery and fall risk. For their study, they pulled data from a database of nearly 500,000 patients with osteoarthritis. Researchers looked at reported falls in patients who had undergone hip or knee replacement surgery and those who had not undergone joint replacement surgery.
While the study stopped short of putting a specific figure on how much fall risk is lowered, study lead author Dr. Dan Schwarzkopf noted that “those who had [total joint arthroplasty] fell far less than those who did not. From that, we concluded that TJA for patients that have [osteoarthritis] is protective against future falls.”
Researchers said joint replacement surgery accomplishes this in a few different ways. For starters, the hip or knee replacement operation increases range of motion and agility in the joint, which inherently helps with balance and coordination. They also say that evidence suggests that replaced knees tend to respond better to physical therapy, again helping to reduce fall risk. And finally, they say that a joint replacement operation helps to prevent a fear of falling, which boosts stability and confidence in their body.
So if you are dealing with significant knee or hip pain, or you just want to reduce your risk of a future fall, set up a consultation with a specialist like Dr. Botero. A solution may be closer than you think. For more information, contact his office today.
