Rehab Select Blog

Osteoporosis affects the strength and density of bones. If you have been diagnosed with it, chances are you have a lot of questions about how the disease will impact your body. While the effects vary greatly from one person to another depending upon the severity of the disease and its rate of progression, there are some issues that many osteoporosis sufferers have in common. Here we'll outline the most common effects of this disease on the body to help you gain insight into problems you may find yourself dealing with in the years to come.

Joint replacement surgery is a procedure in which an orthopedic surgeon removes part or all of a diseased or damaged joint – most commonly the knee or hip – and inserts a prosthetic as replacement. The goals of this procedure are to reduce chronic pain and improve mobility in patients, goals that these procedures achieve in the majority of cases. So why do people need these procedures? While there are many conditions that can damage joints and create a need for joint replacement, there are some that are more common than others. Among those are these 3 conditions that often lead to joint replacement:

Short term rehabilitation programs are an important component of heath care, providing essential support to patients as they recover after serious medical events. Hospitals and physicians routinely recommend rehab programs for patients who, while no longer in need of acute medical care in a hospital, are not yet fully recovered and require additional therapy and care. What do these patients need to consider as they explore their rehabilitation options?

Osteoporosis is a common and often debilitating disease that affects the strength and density of the bones, causing them to become weak, brittle, and prone to fractures. It is most common in people over the age of 50, affecting one of every two women and one of every six men in that age group. So what is the long term impact of osteoporosis on the health and well-being of people affected by this disease?

Do you have knee arthritis? If so, you're in good company. The knee is a very complex joint that is subjected to a great deal of stress every day. These factors contribute to the very common nature of knee problems, which affect more than 6 million people over the age of 62 and another 5 million between the ages of 40 and 62. Among the most common problems is arthritis, with the knee being the most frequently affected joint. Educating yourself can help you manage the impact of knee arthritis. So what do you need to know?

Many patients who have been recommended short term rehab after a serious surgical procedure are reluctant to follow that advice, even after hearing its reasons – safer, faster, and more complete recoveries as compared to outpatient or home-based rehabilitation services – explained in detail. So why the reluctance? Often it is rooted in common misconceptions about inpatient rehab. Here we'll outline some of the most common misconceptions that may discourage patients from seeking the most effective and efficient rehabilitative treatment after surgery.

Effective rehabilitation therapy is crucial in the recovery of knee and hip replacement patients, helping them to regain strength, flexibility, and mobility, speed recovery, and avoid complications. However, patients are generally offered several short term rehab options as they work to plan their procedures with their health care team. For the average patient, who will have limited experience with rehabilitation therapy, choosing among these options can be confusing. Knowing what you can expect from the most common rehab options can make choosing a lot easier, so here we'll go over those details.

If you are having knee replacement surgery in the near future, you have probably already been told that effective follow-up care is essential to a great outcome. In fact, the care and therapy you receive after surgery can be just as important to a successful outcome as the procedure itself. So how does the average patient go about picking the right follow-up care after knee replacement surgery?

If you have had orthopedic surgery or are planning a procedure, your health care team has likely suggested short term rehabilitation to aid in your recovery. People who participate in rehab programs after orthopedic surgery – especially those who have had joint replacement procedures or surgeries to repair hip fractures – tend to have better outcomes than those who don't. Here we'll look into how these programs can lead to faster, more complete, and more comfortable recovery from orthopedic surgery.

If your arthritis has progressed to the point that pain, stiffness, and declining joint function are a major impediment to your daily activities, your doctor has likely recommended joint replacement surgery. If so, you should know that being well prepared for surgery can help ensure that you are among the approximately 90 percent of patients who experience significant improvements in pain levels, mobility, and quality of life after these procedures. Being in good physical condition before surgery is a big part of that preparation as well as the reason physical therapy is a good idea for arthritis sufferers facing joint replacement.