JOINT ECONOMICS: TAKING CARE OF HIPS AND KNEES NOW (PART ONE)
It’s is an all too familiar phrase: Pay me now or pay me later. And, when it comes to our joints, the saying couldn’t be truer.
With the government holding all kinds of meetings lately, many of them could be called joint meetings to discuss what ails us as a society. So, let’s just call this two part article a meeting on ‘joint economics’.
The latest stats reveal more than 400,000 people have had hip or knee replacement surgery in the last year. It is also a statistical reality that the costs associated with those surgeries are staggering. Although the cost is somewhere in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, even with insurance, that can amount to between $3,000 and $4,000 out of pocket. With all eyes on skyrocketing health care costs, coupled with an economy that is only recently showing signs of recovery, knowledge equals power when it comes to our hips and knees.
It is an amazing fact that the human body possesses the ability to repair itself in many ways. However, when it comes to the hips and knees, we are not so inclined. The cartilage that cushions the bones has a tendency to wear as we age and, as such, we begin to experience ‘bone on bone’ pain. The fact is, it does not grow back and this contributes to what is commonly referred to as osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis. As anyone who has experienced this can tell you, it is most painful and often flat out debilitating.
At that point, the choices are few: we can either endure the pain and ‘take our meds’ or consider replacing our worn out parts with artificial hips and knees.
The technology today is available as never before should we be faced with this decision. Even at such a tremendous cost, to be pain free again is well worth the price. However, as has already been stated, the rapid increase of health care costs across the board is changing the way many are viewing this option.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the damage in the first place, thus reducing the chance of enduring the pain or the costs associated with medications or surgeries.
As has been shown, the cost for replacement surgery is not cheap. In addition, for those who are still in the workforce, time off for recovery purposes means lost wages on top of those medical costs.
There are several scenarios that can be avoided if we are to avoid potential problems down the road due to worn out knees and hips. Number one is the skyrocketing obesity problem plaguing our nation. It is a scientific fact that, for every pound a person weighs, they place a minimum of three pounds of force on the hip and knee joints. This means that, if someone weighs in at 200 pounds, they are requiring their hips and knees to handle at least 600 pounds of force with every step they take.
Another contributing factor is the ‘weekend warrior’. This is someone who is not all that active during the work week and then goes all out with weekend sports activities. Whether it is basketball, football, soccer or skiing, the result is still the same: increased pressure on the joints and an increased potential for damage, both now and later.
Even as the population ages with the boomers entering into the retirement arena, those who are younger and are prone to the weekend warrior mentality are also finding their joints wearing out faster than ever. The increasing number of young adults, and even children, participating in serious sports are experiencing serious injuries. The result: as it once was understandable to see people in their 50s and older showing signs of arthritis, those in their 30s are beginning to experience the pain that comes from placing too much stress on their joints.
All these factors: age, weight and level of activity, are contributing to a very costly burden to the health care system and beginning to show signs that society may just be placing more requirements on our health care system in the future than necessary. As recent as 2007, the total national bill for hip replacements was $19 billion and $26 billion for knees, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Those figures are expected to rise significantly in the coming decade.
So protecting your joints will do more than save wear and tear on you and your budget. You could also be doing your part to curtail the national health care crisis.
If you are among those who either have your joints still in one piece, or are just now beginning to experience some creaking in those joints, in part two we will explore some ways to potentially minimize your having to endure the debilitating disease known as osteoarthritis, more commonly known as arthritis.