• Knee and Hip Pain
• The Joint Replacement Program at Kuakini
• Tips for Avoiding Joint Pain
Kuakini Medical Center offers comprehensive orthopedic services that include the following: arthroscopic surgery, fracture care, sports medicine, hand surgeries, total joint replacements and outpatient surgeries. Kuakini has dedicated beds for orthopedic patients in its medical/surgical patient care units and a specially trained staff, including licensed registered nurses and licensed physical therapists, to help our patients get back to an active life.
Knee and Hip Pain
Knee and hip pain are two of the most common complaints people have as they grow older. Normally, all parts of the knee and the hip joint work together so you can run, walk and lead an active life. However, sometimes a disease or an injury can affect the normal function of the joints, resulting in pain, muscle weakness and limited movement.
Causes
Degenerative disease is one of the most common causes of hip and knee disorders. This includes osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, avascular necrosis and Paget's Disease. These diseases can affect your joints in different ways and cause pain.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the world, affecting approximately 16 million people in the United States. This type of arthritis usually occurs after 50 years of age and frequently in an individual with a family history of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage, which acts like a cushion between your bones, breaks down. Bones begin to rub against each other, causing pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects approximately seven million individuals in the United States. Women are affected about three times more often than men. In addition to affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis may affect other organs including the skin or the heart.
Post-traumatic arthritis may develop after an injury to the joint. Commonly, the bone and cartilage do not heal perfectly and the joint is no longer smooth, leading to more wear on the joint.
Avascular necrosis occurs when the bone is no longer receiving nutrition from the blood. The bone structure weakens and the bone may collapse and damage the cartilage.
Paget's Disease is a bone disease in which bone formation is abnormally speeded up and the shape of the bone changes. This deformity may lead to arthritis.
Symptoms
Pain from arthritis and joint degeneration can be constant or it can come and go. It can occur when you walk or remain motionless for some time. It can be located in one or many joints of your body.
The pain of joint degeneration can limit many everyday activities such as walking, bending, going up and down stairs, getting in and out of a car and getting dressed. Joint degeneration can eventually make it extremely difficult for individuals to work and enjoy themselves. It can also make it difficult for individuals to care for themselves.
Treatment
If your symptoms are not controlled with medications, changing everyday activities and using a brace, cane or a walker, joint replacement may be a treatment option. More than 125,000 hip replacements and more than 140,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. A metal and plastic covering is used to replace cartilage that has worn away over the years. Joint replacement can help eliminate pain and allow you to move more freely.
Choices
In order to make the best decisions about treating joint pain, you will need to know the following:
• What is wrong with your joint
• What treatment options exist
• Which of these options may be right for you
• What do these options really mean to you today - how will it change your present lifestyle
• What will these options mean to you in the future- how will it affect your future lifestyle
The decision to have joint replacement surgery should involve you, your primary care physician and your orthopedic surgeon.
Back to Top
The Joint Replacement Program at Kuakini Medical Center
Hip or knee pain can be debilitating. If joint replacement surgery is an option for you, consider Kuakini Medical Center's Joint Replacement Program. We have dedicated beds in our medical/surgical patient care units for joint replacement surgeries and a specially trained staff, including licensed registered nurses and licensed physical therapists, to help our patients get back to an active life.
Call the following telephone numbers for more information about Kuakini Health System's Joint Replacement Program.
• Patient Care Coordinator for Orthopedic Unit - (808) 547-9435
• Rehabilitation Services - (808) 547-9128
Back to Top
Tips for Avoiding Joint Pain
• Exercise properly. Repetitive motions and bad form put undue stress on joints and cause the breakdown of cartilage. Low impact exercise strengthens the muscles around the joints, reducing pressure and keeping cartilage healthy.
• Limit high-impact sports such as running, tennis, downhill skiing and weight lifting. Consider lower impact sports such as swimming, water aerobics, biking or walking.
• Take estrogen. Studies show that post menopausal women decrease their risk of osteoarthritis by 30 percent with estrogen replacement.
• Lose weight. Those extra pounds are putting stress on your joints, increasing your risk for osteoarthritis.
Back to Top
