Does Physical Therapy Help Arthritis

Importance Of Strength Training Exercises

Weakness in the surrounding muscles can put added stress on your affected joint, thereby causing pain even at a slight movement attempt. If youre suffering from knee arthritis, for instance, physical therapy helps slow down the degenerative process of the knee joint by improving the stability and strength of the muscles in your thighs and calves.

Strength training is more like the final step in the progression of rehabilitative exercise intensity. Rehabilitation for arthritis is essentially about breaking your recovery down into a series of baby steps. If you have severe arthritis, your physical therapist will get you on the first step, which is to simply move then comes your endurance training, which is typically just light strength training. When youve almost completely recovered, proper strength training acts as the final phase.

Why Does Physical Therapy For Arthritis Help

In searching for ways to treat arthritis pain, many people think that a shot or surgery is required. While a corticosteroid like cortisone may be needed and even surgery in rare cases an orthopedic expert will rarely jump to those treatments without physical therapy, or until a patient has undergone physical therapy first.

Physical therapy can be great treatment for helping to rehabilitate from injuries, but it also helps alleviate the stiffness, pain and mobility issues associated with arthritis.

What Are Some Benefits Of Occupational And Physical Therapy

If you have arthritis, there are many benefits to participating in a physical and occupational therapy program, including:

• You gain education about your type of arthritis, so that you can be well informed.
• You gain foot-care advice, including information on well-fitting shoes with shock-absorbing outer soles and sculptured insoles molded exactly to the contour of each foot.
• You will learn therapeutic methods to relieve discomfort and improve performance through various physical techniques and activity modifications.

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Speed Up Surgical Recovery

For advanced cases of hip arthritis, your doctor may recommend surgery. This option is a last resort for individuals who no longer respond to conservative treatments. The exact type of procedure would depend on your specific condition.

Physical therapy is a crucial part of your recovery, especially if your orthopedic surgeon replaces your hip with a prosthetic. It can also speed up the healing process. Plus, it allows you to maximize the benefits of the prosthetic sooner. Your physical therapist will craft a rehabilitation plan to help you get used to your new joint.

Lighten Up Your Grocery List

Another easy adaptation is to consider the size and weight of things you normally buy at the store and consider alternatives, Ferri says. My patients with arthritis in their hands often have difficulty carrying a gallon of milk, which is heavy and hard to manipulate, so instead I tell them to get two pints, she says. Another option is to have your groceries delivered. It may be worth the fee to have someone else do the heavy lifting.

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Types Of Physical Therapy For Treating Arthritis

A physical therapy program for arthritis sufferers teaches joint protection exercises and techniques for reducing stress on the affected joints. Some of these include the following:

Hot and cold treatment such as ice packs or heating pads can help relieve local pain. Heat also relaxes muscle spasms. Also, taking a warm bath or shower before exercise can help warm up your joints and muscles so you can exercise more easily.

Weight-loss exercises can help prevent extra stress on the weight-bearing joints in your back, hips, knees, and feet.

Flexibility exercises are designed to preserve the mobility, strength, and use of your joints.

Conserving energy may not sound like physical therapy, but its important to allow for appropriate rest periods during the workday, on the weekends, and even in the evenings to give your joints a break. Taking breaks will help your joints feel less stress.

Body positioning and posture techniques can help protect the integrity of the joints of the back, legs, and feet while performing daily activities to help relieve pain and improve function. For example, your physical therapist may recommend that you sit down for an activity instead of standing. Changing positions often can help avoid increased stiffness and pain.

Orthotic aids such as braces for your knees, ankles, or wrists, or using canes, crutches, shoe inserts, splints, or walkers can help relieve stress on arthritic joints.

Physical Therapy Can Be An Important Part Of Treatment For Many People With Arthritis Heres The Advice Pts Wish They Could Give Everyone

By the time you get diagnosed with arthritis you may have a panel of different doctors and nurses whove helped you along the way, but there are other medical professionals who can have a big impact on your health and comfort including occupational therapists, mental health experts, and physical therapists.

Physical therapists are best known for guiding people through exercises to help with rehabilitation and manage pain, but they are so much more than a personal trainer, says Lauren Lobert, a physical therapist and owner of APEX Physical Therapy. A good PT will employ a variety of techniques, including targeted exercises and stretches, manual therapy, and biomechanical analysis among other things. They can help you maintain your health long-term by creating a program that you can use out of their office, giving you the tools to manage arthritis flare-ups and improve your daily quality of life, she says.

We talked to a group of physical therapists for their best advice for people managing arthritis:

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Three Ways Physical Therapy Can Be Helpful For Neck Arthritis

Physical therapists have an intimate understanding of the structures of your neck since they have spent years learning about this and other parts of the human musculoskeletal system. This knowledge allows them to offer physical therapy thats helpful for neck arthritis. A few of the benefits that physical therapy can offer for this condition include:

Physical therapists can use a technique called therapeutic exercise to help improve your neck range of motion . A study of this technique found that 10 days of it helped cervical spondylosis patients improve their:

• Right rotation by nearly eight degrees.
• Left rotation by more than six degrees.

Often, your specialist will use a therapy method called spinal manipulation to help treat neck arthritis pain. One study reveals that this technique helped reduce patients numeric pain rating scale scores by nearly three points on average after just two sessions.

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Start Your Exercise Program Today

Knee arthritis does not have to be a disabling condition. Exercise is very effective for improving your pain, function, and quality of life. Many people are unsure how to start and what type of exercise is best for their goals. Meet with your physical therapist to develop an individualized exercise program that meets your needs. one of our offices to schedule your initial evaluation today.

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Physical Therapist In Boynton Beach Fl

Living with arthritis doesnt mean allowing pain to slow you down. Our highly skilled physical therapists at Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches will help you live a normal life by effectively managing its debilitating symptoms.

We offer superior on-site physical therapy services, allowing for seamless, easy monitoring of your care. Our ultimate goal is to help you regain your independence and have you enjoy an improved quality of life.

To schedule an appointment with any of our physical therapists, call 733-5888, Ext. 1. or use our convenient online request form.

What Are The Precautions Of Physical Therapy In Rheumatoid Arthritis

They include:

• Isometric exercises should be performed when the patient’s condition worsens and the joints become irritated.

• Stretching should be avoided in acute situations.

• Revise the workout schedule if the pain remains two hours after the activity or joint edema increases.

• Climbing stairs or lifting weights should be avoided by patients with active rheumatoid arthritis in their knees because it might cause intra-articular pressure in the joint.

• Stretches should not put too much stress on the tendons, and ballistic motions should be avoided.

Physical therapy is a non-surgical rheumatoid arthritis treatment that can significantly reduce inflammation and joint pain. It will also help you regain muscle mass, range of motion, and flexibility, giving you the strength you need to fight rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in the future. Although physical therapy can assist with chronic pain, joint inflammation, and other rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, you should consult your doctor to see if physical therapy is an appropriate treatment option for you.

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What Joint Protection Techniques Are Offered

There are ways to reduce the stress on joints affected by arthritis while participating in daily activities. Some of these include:

• Controlling your weight to avoid putting extra stress on weight-bearing joints such as the back, hips, knees, and feet.
• Being aware of body position, using good posture to protect your back and the joints of your legs and feet. When possible, sit down to do a job instead of standing. Change position often since staying in one position for a long time tends to increase stiffness and pain.
• Conserving energy by allowing for rest periods, both during the workday and during an activity.
• Respecting pain. It is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Don’t try an activity that puts strain on joints that are already painful or stiff.

An occupational therapist can show you ways to do everyday tasks without worsening pain or causing joint damage. Some joint protection techniques include:

What Is The Best Pain Relief Treatment For Arthritis

Regardless of the cause of arthritis, physical therapy plays a major role in the treatment of its symptoms. Physical therapy should always be the first method of treatment, before resorting to more aggressive procedures, such as surgery. In fact, in many cases, physical therapy can even eliminate the need for risky treatment methods altogether, such as harmful pain-management drugs or invasive surgical correction. If the condition is severe and surgery is required, physical therapy can also help you prepare and recover from your procedure.

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What To Expect From Physical Therapy

Your physical therapist will work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your history and goals. This is likely to include:

• Program of customized exercises
• Pain relief, using heat or ice packs, electrical stimulation and ultrasound
• Hands-on joint and soft tissue massage and mobilization
• Assistive devices

A critical element of physical therapy is education, says Javier Soares-Velez, M.D. Your physical therapist will help you understand, for example, how to reduce stress on your joints, how to do the exercises in your treatment plan and how to manage pain on your own.

You may need to see your physical therapist weekly to start, or even multiple times a week during a period of acute pain. But as you learn to manage your arthritis, youll likely see your physical therapist less often, checking in with them every few months to set new goals and update your treatment plan as needed.

Patients will achieve a better and more sustained outcome when they commit to performing their exercises daily and consistently as part of a home exercise program, shares Roger Rossi, D.O. Living with arthritis is not always easy, but certainly incorporating the learned benefits of physical and occupational therapy into ones life is an important part of management.

Please note: Physical therapy isnt always prescribed for treatment for arthritis and, in certain situations can worsen symptoms.

Physical Therapy Methods To Manage Arthritis

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What Therapy Is Offered For People Recovering From Joint Replacement

Preoperative programs of education and exercise, started before joint replacement surgery, are continued at home. They may be changed in the hospital after surgery to fit new needs during the rehabilitation period. These exercises may be added to your usual exercise regimen, and you may find your ability to exercise has improved after surgery.

Here Is What Physical Therapy Does For Knee Arthritis

Ernie Gamble May 5, 2019Knee

Knee arthritis is a condition where the protective cartilage of your joints breaks down. The cartilage serves as a pad or cushion to the bone beneath it. Your knee, hip, and spine are the most common joints where osteoarthritis develops. In your knee, this can occur on the end of your thigh bone, lower leg bone, or both. When your cartilage wears away, your body responds by laying down more bone. This results in spurs and narrowing of your joints.

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Switch Up Your Workouts Up

Its easy to get in a rut with exercise but its better for your joints if you can be flexible with your workouts, Vann says. Its really about finding the right type of exercise and modifying activities so you can keep moving without serious pain, she explains. That might mean walking one week, swimming the next, and lifting weights in between. Your physical therapist can recommend specific activities that will work best for you at your current pain level, she adds.

What Techniques Will I Learn

You’ll learn several techniques, including:

• Rest.Bed rest helps reduce both joint inflammation and pain, and is especially useful when multiple joints are affected and fatigue is a major problem. Individual joint rest is most helpful when arthritis involves one or only a few joints. Custom splints can be made to rest and support inflamed joints and a soft collar can support the neck while you are sitting or standing.
• Thermal modalities. Applying ice packs or heating pads, as well as deep heat provided by ultrasound and hot packs, can help relieve local pain. Heat also relaxes muscle spasm around inflamed joints. Heating joints and muscles with a warm bath or shower before exercising may help you exercise more easily.
• Exercise. Exercise is an important part of arthritis treatment that is most effective when done properly every day. Your doctor and therapist will prescribe a program for you that may vary as your needs change.

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Strengthen The Muscles That Support An Arthritic Joint

When osteoarthritis causes protective cartilage to wear away in a joint, there can be painful friction between the joints bones. You can decrease this friction by strengthening the surrounding muscles that support the joint. A skilled physical therapist can identify areas of impairments and teach you how to address these impairments with functional strengthening to help you improve strength and stability in your joints.

See Strength Training Can Crush Arthritis Pain

What Else Should People Know About Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is classically used to help treat movement-related issues with the goal of improving physical function and quality of life. Its not about the quick fix it is about developing healthy lifestyle habits for the long term, which will allow you to live a full and purposeful life. It is one of four methods of arthritis pain relief that a fellowship-trained orthopedic expert may prescribe for arthritis pain.

Midwest Orthopaedic Consultants offers comprehensive orthopedic physical therapy for arthritis in the same convenient location as fellowship-trained orthopedic physicians.

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How Can A Physical Therapist Help

Physical therapist treatment has proven to be an effective treatment for OA, and may help you avoid surgery and use of prescription painkillers. Although the symptoms and progression of OA are different for each person, starting an individualized exercise program and addressing risk factors can help relieve your symptoms and slow the condition’s advance.

Your physical therapist may:

• Perform a thorough examination to determine your symptoms.
• Observe what activities are difficult for you.
• Design an individualized exercise program to address your specific needs and improve your movement.
• Use manual physical therapy to improve movement of the affected joint.
• Offer suggestions for adjusting your work area to lessen the strain on your joints.
• Teach you aerobic and strengthening exercises to improve your movement and overall health.
• Design and teach you a home-exercise program to improve your strength and movement.
• Teach you an exercise program for safe weight loss, if you need to lose weight to ease pressure on your joints.
• Recommend simple lifestyle changes that will help keep the weight off.

In cases of severe OA that are not helped by physical therapy alone, surgery, such as a knee or hip replacement, may be necessary. Your physical therapist will refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to discuss the possibility of surgery.