“My right knee had been hurting for years, but it got to the point where I knew I needed to get something done,” said Nall, 74, of Greensboro. “It affected my quality of life. I couldn’t do the walking and the working I wanted to do."
To get Nall on the road to better health, his knee surgeon, William A. Jiranek, MD, suggested Nall participate in Duke’s Joint Health Program. There, physical therapists work with people like Nall to become stronger, more active and better prepared for surgery, if they still need it. Often, the 12-month program helps people avoid or delay replacement surgery, or changes the type of replacement surgery that is required.
"Our goal was to make sure that when they had surgery they were properly prepared, both psychologically and physically,” said Dr. Jiranek. “Our data suggests that we are making a difference.