Post-Knee Surgery Treatment Can Reduce Continuing Pain After Operation

A newly published study has recently shown how a new technique could help in the reduction of persistent pain following knee surgery.

As indicated in a EurekAlert! report with one in every five people experiencing long-term pain after a knee replacement surgery, the new study, led by the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust, has shown a new way not just to reduce pain, but to "save the National Health Service's time and money," as well.

Every year, 100,000 knee replacement surgeries are performed in the United Kingdom. Most of these procedures are carried out to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis.

Unfortunately, though, every year, roughly 20,000 individuals who undergo knee replacement surgery to relieve the pain discovered that they have moderate to severe pain three months or even longer, following their surgery, which affects their everyday lives.

STAR Care Pathway

The study published in The Lancet Rheumatology found the Support and treatment After joint Replacement or STAR care pathway lessen the severity of pain, the amount of pain interferes with the lives of people, not to mention, is cost-efficient.

This new therapy could potentially save the NHS up to roughly US$18.7 million each year through reduced inpatient hospital admissions. Specifically, the research showed, patients who received the STAR care pathway experienced less severity in terms of pain and effect on everyday life at both six and 12 months following treatment, nine and 15 months from surgery.

The new treatment has also reduced in half, the number of hospital readmissions. More so, it has shortened the duration of hospital stay for any inpatient admission three months from surgery. This new approach has also resulted in less unpaid time off work.

The objective of the five-year STAR program was to look for ways to improve the care and support that people with continuing pain receive.

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research, the STAR program developed and tested a new treatment in a randomized controlled trial in eight hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Specifically, it looked at how likely patients are to get continuing knee pain following their surgery and found why patients are not seeking help.

Improved Pain, Function, and Quality of Life

According to Consultant Orthopedic Knee Surgeon Nick Howells at NBT, also the Honorary Senior Lecturer Medical School: THS, knee replacement surgery is a great operation that changes many people's lives, those who are suffering from osteoarthritis, "improving pain, function, and quality of life."

Nonetheless, Howells continued, a proportion of people are left with continuing pain. To have developed such an intervention which has been shown to make a difference for some of the pain sufferers is really satisfying for the team, not to mention, a great step ahead in treatment, he explained.

As specified in a similar Medical Xpress report, Howells also said, they have now successfully introduced the STAR care pathway into the NHS clinical care direction at North Bristol. The team also hopes it will be accepted and applied in other centers throughout the NHS in the future.

Related information about knee pain after surgery is shown on Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation's YouTube video below:

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