When you invest time and money in a complicated, invasive surgery, you expect results. And in the case of knee replacement surgery, most people get exactly what they came for.
During a knee replacement surgery, your surgeon removes damaged bone and cartilage and replaces your joint with an implant. The result should be smooth, pain-free movement. Unfortunately, 20% of folks who opt for surgery wind up with just as much (if not more) pain and mobility issues than they started with.
Enter our team of experts at US Neuropathy Centers.
There are few things more frustrating than limping along with the baggage of pain and stiffness after you’ve taken drastic measures to improve your symptoms. So, we’ve made it a priority to give our patients with lingering post-op knee pain another trick to try.
Here’s a closer look at how we help you finally get relief from knee pain.
As with any surgery, you should expect some pain during recovery. Everyone heals at a different rate, and your health status can affect how quickly or slowly you heal. On average, complete recovery from knee replacement surgery can take anywhere from a few months to a year.
During your recovery, you should have follow-up visits with your surgeon to evaluate your progress. If you feel as though you’re not healing as fast as you should be (or if the pain is worse than ever), there are a few things that could be to blame.
Lose or misaligned implants, kneecap problems, and even an infection could be giving your knee trouble long after you’ve left the operating room.
One of the most common sources of post-op knee pain stems from a problem in your nerves.
The space in your knee is very small, so even the most skilled surgeons can accidentally pinch or trap the common peroneal nerve that runs through your knee. If that happens, you may experience increased or chronic pain, loss of sensation in your lower leg, and muscle weakness that can lead to problems like drop foot.
We can diagnose nerve entrapment by running diagnostic tests like electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies, and MRIs.
It’s incredibly defeating when even surgery doesn’t fix your knee pain problems, but don’t worry — in the case of nerve entrapment, our team of specialists can step in and finish the job.
Often, we start with peripheral nerve stimulation. This minimally invasive procedure involves placing a lead wire near your pinched or damaged nerve. The wire is connected to a generator that delivers electrical pulses to stop or disrupt pain signals.
In some cases, a surgical nerve release is best to take the pressure off the affected nerve in your knee. This minimally invasive procedure takes about 20 minutes to complete, and in many cases, our patients feel pain relief almost instantly.
You may even be able to walk around on the same day as your procedure.
Pain that overstays its welcome even when you’ve gone to the ends of the earth to deal with it can be both emotionally and physically draining. And unless you let us join your team, you could be stuck with lingering knee pain for the long haul.
If your knee is still bugging you after surgery, it’s time to find out why and finally get the relief you deserve. Call our friendly staff at 404-228-9892 or use our online booking tool to request an appointment at our Marietta, Georgia, office today.
