Seasonal Tips for Autumn

November 3, 2014

By: Kathleen A. Hogan, MD

The hot days of summer are drawing to a close, replaced by cool, crisp fall evenings. As leaves change color, and kids go back to school, our focus shifts from fun times on the beach to preparing your home and yard for the winter season ahead.

Autumn is also a good time to take care of yourself. As you winterize your house, think about preparing yourself for winter as well. Have you had a check up this year with your primary care physician? Have you put off dealing with that nagging knee injury that hampered your golf game all summer? Do your hips and knees ache with the mere thought of the cold and damp days ahead? Or have you been putting off going to physical therapy or even having surgery, not wanting to take the time during the summer to get these things done? Autumn is a great time to re-assess your health and to stop procrastinating.

If you need a hip or knee replacement, autumn can be an excellent time to go ahead with surgery. Recovery after hip or knee replacement averages 6-12 weeks. For the first month and a half, patients are usually using a walker, crutches, or cane. Crutches are no fun in the snow! You should be well on your way to recovery before the busy holiday season. Also, if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan and have already met your deductible, it can make financial sense to go forward with higher cost procedures before that deductible is reset in January.

Take the time to make your health a priority this autumn. If you have problems with your knees or hips or other joints that you have been ignoring all summer long, make an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon to find out what is wrong. Sometimes surgery is needed, but often medications, injections, or physical therapy can improve your symptoms and your quality of life.