Nursing Beyond the Vital SignsNursing Beyond the Vital Signs


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Nursing Beyond the Vital Signs

Nursing is so much more than simply popping a thermometer in a patient's mouth or recording a blood pressure. In my time as a nurse, I have participated in life saving efforts when time was critical, I have held a mother's hands when her newborn baby was being prepped for surgery, and I have looked into the terrified eyes of an elderly person in pain. Nurses literally go into battle, serving in military operations all over the world. They also learn and implement the latest in medical technology. This blog is to highlight nurses and prove that they deserve respect and appreciation for all that they do.

About Knee Pain & Suffering From Osteoarthritis

Has it become difficult for you to walk because your knees are always in a lot of pain? It is in your best interest to make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon so you can find out if you have osteoarthritis and need to undergo treatment. Find out in this article what you should know about suffering from osteoarthritis and getting it treated via surgery.

The Cause of Osteoarthritis

There are a few different ways that osteoarthritis can develop. If you are getting older, it is possible that the cells in your knees are beginning to age and cause cartilage to deteriorate. Injuries to the knee joints can also lead to the development of osteoarthritis, even if the injury happened years before you developed symptoms. Basically, osteoarthritis can develop from an overreaction of the immune system when a knee joint is injured. Due to there being so many ways for osteoarthritis to develop, it is important to get examined by a specialist to find out how you may have gotten it so the underlying problem can be treated if necessary.

Why Treatment is Necessary

Osteoarthritis is not the kind of condition that should be left untreated, even if you are able to cope with the pain by taking over-the-counter drugs. If you don't get treated by a specialist, the cartilage that cushions your knee joints will continuously deteriorate. You will end up not being able to walk at all in the long run because your joints will begin rubbing together and causing pain that is difficult to cope with. The longer that you live with osteoarthritis, it will become more complicated to treat. Eventually, you might have to undergo surgery to get pain relief.

Surgical Procedures for Osteoarthritis

A surgical procedure that is called arthroscopy is one of the methods used for treating osteoarthritis. Basically, the surgeon will have to clean out fragments of cartilage or bones that are in your knee joints to get rid of inflammation. If you are suffering from a severe form of osteoarthritis, you might have to undergo a surgical procedure called arthroplasty. During the arthroplasty procedure, the surgeon will get rid of damaged knee joints and replace them with ones that are constructed out of artificial materials like plastic or metal so you can walk without pain. Speak to an orthopedic surgeon as soon as you are able to so you can find out if your knee pain is from osteoarthritis. Visit http://www.towncenterorthopaedics.com for more information.