Knee Surgery and Other Kinds of Procedures Often Involve a Good Deal of Pain

Today marks 16 weeks since your knee replacement surgery and what a difference this surgery has made. Before surgery, you were mentally and physically exhausted from pain all the time. You did not sleep well, your life was sedentary and you did not enjoy going out. You now have virtually no pain, you do not feel like your day takes all of your mental energy to get through, and you have taken your dogs for some great walks to the farmers markets and in throughout your neighborhood. You have managed the cobblestone streets in the old market area, full days of shopping with your daughter, and am mentally planning trips to places where you get to walk and walk. Think Europe!
You still have work and progress to make, but the first 16 weeks have made you realize that you are way stronger than you ever thought you were. You greatly appreciate all of the mental and physical encouragement you have received. And you especially thank those who knew better than you that this surgery was desperately needed.
Although you are thrilled that you have made this much progress, you remember the pain that you experienced those first few days after surgery. Thankfully, you had a prescription to some high powered pain medications to navigate your way through those days. You were careful to read and reread all of the drug information provided by the pharmacist and mentioned by the nurse. Understanding both the benefits and the dangers of any kind of opioid drugs, it has been important to you that you could rely on your husband to help regulate the use of this powerful resource as you began the earliest steps on the road to recovery, Failing to pay attention to the drug information and the warnings of abuse could have led to a much different kind of situation.
The Opioid Crisis in America Is Costing Some Communities Millions of Dollars
Any doctor’s appointment is the meeting of two experts: the doctor who has a degree and you. It is important to realize that although the doctor has had years of education and training, it is important to know that no one knows more about your history and symptoms than you do.
In the past many of us would have asked parents, spouses, siblings, other relatives, and friends about the symptoms that we have. Today, most of us add Goggle as well. In spite of the fact that we often spend far too much time diagnosing ourselves, the best doctors know that it is worth their time to spend time in conversation with their patients to understand what is most likely going on. Understanding the patient’s fears, in fact, can play an important part in the treatment of any condition. Your future health is very important.
Realizing that there is a need for responsible use of pain medications also plays a part in the treatment of knees, hips, and other surgeries. In a time when opioid overdose is so common, however, it is essential that patients read and pay attention to the drug information that is provided. On one side of the equation, for instance, there is the fear that some people will not take the pain medication that they are given, resulting in a significant delay in recovery. In contrast, there are people who ignore the drug information that warns of overuse and can start themselves on an addiction that is difficult to end.
Unfortunately, more than 2 million Americans each year are affected by prescription opioid misuse. These is, however, some encouraging news. For instance, changes to government recommendations and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies have led to a dramatic increase in the last 25 years in prescriptions of oxycodone for long-term use in patients with chronic pain. Finding the right doctor who will help you get the diagnosis you need is only the first step in dealing with a condition that is keeping you from living your best life. That best doctor needs to make sure that you are well informed about the treatment that they recommend and the follow up prescriptions that are needed.