Pain Relief for Arthritis
Are your hands stiff and achy in the mornings, becoming less notable as the day progresses? If so, this may be a sign of arthritis. This is a common condition for many people, but they often ignore it until their joints simply become too painful to ignore. Arthritis can be managed with the help of our team. We will assess what exercises will be beneficial in providing pain relief for your arthritis during everyday activities and help you prevent injuring yourself in the future. Your MAXX physical therapist will also help you increase your range of motion in your arthritic joints. If you are experiencing arthritic symptoms, then request a FREE Pain Assessment or schedule an appointment today!
Osteoarthritis & Rhumatoid Arthritis
The two types of arthritis that typically result in arthritic pain are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is common for those over age 60, but it can also be the result of injury, poor mechanics and overuse. This type of arthritis is characterized by a breakdown of cartilage which surrounds joints. It is cartilage that is responsible for distributing forces and lubricating joints. When you don’t have enough of it, the bones rub together and cause pain. Bone fragments can also break off and bone spurs can grow. The spine, knees, hips, and hands are the common sites for osteoarthritis. In addition to pain, there’s a decrease in flexibility, and an increase in stiffness and tenderness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is when the body attacks itself; it’s an autoimmune disease. The lining of the joints gradually becomes inflamed. Symptoms include stiffness, tenderness, inflammation, swelling and pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is often found in the feet, wrists and hands. However, if it isn’t properly treated, it can spread to other areas like the knees and hips. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include fever, weight loss, decreased appetite, and continual exhaustion. MAXX Physical Therapy can help both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
How does arthritis progress?
As the most commonly experienced form of arthritis, osteoarthritis is typically easy to diagnose. It can be caused by a sudden injury to the joint, or it can develop even if a previous injury has fully healed. For example, let’s say you were a football player in college who experienced a harsh blow to the knee. You seek treatment, recover, and return to the game. Although the injury healed, damage occurred to the cartilage or surrounding muscles, decreasing support to the joint, or changing the motion of the joint slightly. Therefore, it is still possible for you to develop osteoarthritis from it later in life.
The same is true for overuse or repetitive motion careers. For example, if you are a carpenter who swings a hammer in repetitive motions as a crucial part of the job, you may develop osteoarthritis in the joints of your elbows or hands. If you are overweight, you may also be at a higher risk for developing osteoarthritis, as additional strain is being put on your knee and hip joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is not as easily understood. It develops as an autoimmune response, meaning that the immune system sees the joints as a threat and decides to attack them. Researchers have come to believe that your medical history, environment, and hormones could all be contributing factors toward the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Because it is an autoimmune condition, it is common for it to affect the same joints on different sides of the body.
How will MAXX PT
help my arthritis?
Those suffering from arthritic pain can benefit greatly from MAXX Physical Therapy. Often our patients, are able to avoid surgery, medications, and injections. Your Lake Charles physical therapist will conduct a physical evaluation to determine what the best course of treatment is for you.
Physical therapy helps by restoring the normal motion of your joints, improving the strength of supporting muscles, and improving the way you walk, run, bend and move. Our treatments are tailored to your specific needs to help you recover quickly and have a more permanent outcome. We also teach you ways to prevent future joint injury, and what you can do on your own with the correct therapeutic exercises.
If you are experiencing arthritic symptoms and you are looking to find long-lasting pain relief, schedule an appointment with our dedicated Lake Charles physical therapists or simply request a FREE Pain Assessment and get started on your journey towards less pain and a more active life!
FAQs
What are the symptoms for arthritis pain?
Do your joints feel stiff, achy, or painful, especially when you wake up in the morning? If so, you may be experiencing the effects of arthritis. This is one of the most common symptoms of arthritis, but it is common to also expereince accompanying symptoms. Other sensations you may experience with arthritis include pain in the affected region, which may spread to surrounding body parts; persistent stiffness; inflammation; muscle spasms, joint creaking, clicking, or popping sounds; increased pain with certain activities, such as work or exercise; decreased range of motion in the affected area, abnormalities in gait, such as limping; swelling; weakness; and a warm sensation in the affected joint.
What are the best physical therapy treatments for arthritis pain?
Regardless of the cause of arthritis, physical therapy plays a major role in the treatment of its symptoms. Your physical therapist will conduct a physical evaluation to analyze your joint movement, muscle strength, and overall function, in order to pinpoint the exact areas that are causing you pain. You will then be prescribed a personalized treatment plan, focused around your specific needs. Treatment plans will include targeted stretches and exercises aimed at relieving your pain and improving your function, in addition to any specialized methods your physical therapist deems fit. This may include manual therapy, ice and heat therapies, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound. Your physical therapist may also include additional services as needed, such as weight management techniques to help ease some stress on your joints, and/or posture improvement to relieve stiffness and prevent injury.
Can arthritis affect different parts of the body?
There are over 100 different types of arthritis, containing monoarthritis (where only one joint is affected) and oligoarthritis (where multiple joints are affected). According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 54.4 million U.S. adults are diagnosed with some form of arthritis per year. As we age, the cartilage in our joints wears down, causing painful bone-on-bone rubbing, inflammation, stiffness, and pain. While it is possible for arthritis to develop in any of the joints, the fingers, elbows, shoulders, lower back, hips, and knees are among the most common.
Is there a cure for arthritis?
While there is no cure for arthritis yet, it is possible to alleviate arthritic symptoms by improving your joint movement, muscle strength, balance, and coordination through physical therapy treatments. In some cases, physical therapy can even make it possible to eliminate symptoms entirely. For best results, it is in your best interest to consult with a physical therapist as soon as you begin noticing arthritic symptoms. The sooner they get treated, the easier they are to manage. Whatever type of arthritis you may be suffering from, physical therapy undoubtedly plays an important role in pain relief. In addition, it can also help you avoid the need for harmful pain-management drugs or invasive surgical correction.
