The Doctor said it’s bone on bone 🙁

We will call him, ‘Jim’… a former patient of mine who I think of every time I hear someone tell me ‘the doctor said it’s bone on bone, I need a knee replacement.’

For years, Jim had been in pain. Throbbing knee pain, a grinding sound any time he would stand up from a chair, his back was always aching from walking funny, and he had to wear a brace to help keep it from buckling.

But nothing he could do would give him relief for more than a few hours. As soon as he was back up on his feet, it would hurt again.

His daily life was significantly hampered from what it had been in years past. 

He woke up okay, just stiff. But by the time he started walking, the soreness set in and stayed.

The injections helped, but only for a period of time. He received them repeatedly until they stopped helping.

Today, he is golfing three times a week and can climb stairs without hearing his knee make noise. He is less irritable because he’s not in pain all the time, and he doesn’t have to think twice before parking in the back of the parking lot. 

He finally got the knee replacement and hasn’t regretted it since.

I’m sharing this story with you because when I talk to Jim now, his only regret is he didn’t do it sooner.

I want you to know that it’s worth doing and that support is here to make the journey back to being pain-free possible. 

The reason Jim regrets not doing it sooner is that he had put off the surgery for over 3 years before he couldn’t bear the pain anymore.  In those 3 years, he had become way less active, gained weight, and saw himself depressed as he wasn’t doing the things he enjoyed anymore.  His relationships and health suffered as he feared his situation wasn’t going to get any better.  

The most common thing I hear people say when they finally get their hip or knee replaced after putting it off for years is, “I should have done this sooner”.

Like Jim, they end up taking pain medication daily, see themselves become sedentary and their quality of life decline. 

They are overwhelmed by what they don’t know…

How will I get around?

Is therapy going to hurt?

How long will I be out for? 

Fortunately for Jim and many others like him, we were able to help him prepare for the surgery and were with him the whole journey afterward, getting him back into top shape. 

There are 3 big phases we guided Jim through: 

First, we got with him before surgery to prehab… that is, get the strength up and pain down because the better you go into surgery, the better you come out.  We also helped Jim set up his home safely with modifications to the bathroom and walkway so he’d be safe.

Second, we rehabbed Jim until the function was restored, getting him back to walking, climbing stairs, and standing up from a chair pain-free.

Third, we continued on with Jim long after traditional therapy would stop, getting his strength, mobility, and balance back to where they were before the 3-year decline… now he’s back on the golf course playing better than ever

I hate to see people having that same regret as Jim.  I’m all about waiting and not having surgery if you don’t need it. Heck, I’m the guy that helps people avoid surgery half the time, but when it’s really needed, and there is no other way… it’s best to get it done.  I always advise people that if it’s negatively affecting your quality of life and activity level, it’s time to do something about it.  Trying to get back in shape after years of pain and being sedentary is very difficult.  

So, what is holding you back? 

The pain, the decreased activity level, and not being able to do the things you love aren’t going to change if you don’t do anything about it.  So don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back.

Direct Orthopedic Therapy is here to journey with you every step of the way. Our three-phase ‘Functional Strength Method’ will help you prepare and strengthen up prior to surgery, be with you shortly after surgery to begin rehab, and continue on with you until you are back doing the things you love!

If Jim’s story sounds similar to your own. I want you to go ahead and book a free discovery call with me… 

On this call: 

1. We will get on the phone together to determine what’s going on, how the pain is slowing you down, and what can be done to resolve it for good… 
2. We will cover my 3-phase ‘Functional Strength Method’ so you leave the session confident that you know what to do next. 
3. We will assess whether I can help and whether you are a good fit for our course of treatment… 
4. If it feels like a good fit, we’ll discuss what I do and how we can work together to resolve the pain. 

Book your call here: calendly.com/directorthopedictherapy/freediscoverycall

This free call has helped hundreds of people understand what’s going on and what they need to do to break the cycle of persistent pain and start getting results, and it has the power and potential to do the same for you. 

To Your Health,

Jonson Yousefzadeh PT, DPT, COMPT

Owner, Direct Orthopedic Therapy