Are your joints painful, achy, or weak? You could be living with arthritis, and you’re not alone if this is the case.
In actuality, there are more than a hundred different types of arthritis. Although the elderly are the most likely to be diagnosed with arthritis, arthritic symptoms can also affect young individuals!
If you have arthritis, you know how difficult moving about and functioning in daily life can become. What you might not know, however, is that physical therapy can help you find relief from your arthritis pain. Though there is no cure for arthritis the onset of arthritis can be slowed and painful symptoms can be lessened with physical therapy. These are some compelling reasons to contact Goin Beyond Physical Therapy to make an appointment for a physical therapy consultation right away.
What Treatments are Available to Me in Physical Therapy?
Arthritis damages the body’s joints; therefore, physical therapy will focus on restoring joint function and improving your ability to move around and participate in regular activities. This will be accomplished by combining exercise to strengthen the support structures around the joints with instruction on how to move and participate in activities without aggravating your symptoms. Your physical therapist will recommend a treatment plan based on how severe your arthritis is and which parts of your body are affected.
Your therapist will give you physical exercises to help you improve your mobility, range of motion, flexibility, and coordination. The following therapies and lifestyle changes may be included in your physical therapy regime:
- Posture Improvement: Your therapist will teach you a variety of body mechanic strategies to help you improve joint function and minimize pain. You’ll also learn how to ease the strain on arthritic joints by using your strongest muscles and joints.
- Education and Assistive Devices: Arthritis of the hip or knee might sometimes necessitate the use of assistive mobility equipment like a cane or walker. Your physical therapist will show you how to utilize these tools properly.
- Treatments: To help with arthritis pain, modern physical therapy offers a variety of treatment alternatives. Hot and cold therapy can assist relieve joint pain and stiffness; braces or splints can help stabilize and support arthritic joints; shoe inserts can help relieve lower extremity arthritis discomfort; and so on.
- Environment Modifications: Based on your type of arthritis, your physical therapist can make specific recommendations for additional therapeutic aids. You may be recommended ergonomic furniture or cushioned mats in areas of your home where you stand on your feet for long periods of time.
- Exercise and stretching. Light exercises and stretching will help to increase range of motion in the affected areas.
- Weight control. Your physical therapist will work with you to control your weight through exercise and diet. Controlling your weight helps to prevent added stress on weight-bearing joints.
- Getting enough rest. Your therapist will also recommend a schedule for rest and sleep to complement your exercises. This helps the body to heal and will hopefully reduce your amount of arthritic inflammation and pain.
Here’s What to Expect From Your First Session
Physical therapy sessions are frequently brief. Your therapist will concentrate on identifying difficulties with your physical function related to arthritis and teaching you pain-relieving techniques that you may apply at home. Maintaining long-term compliance with the teachings is the only way to truly attain arthritic pain relief. You must follow your physical therapist’s recommendations because improvement will be gradual.
Before your first session with your physical therapist, think carefully about your different physical goals. Sharing this knowledge with your therapist will help them to provide you with the very best advice possible. For example, you might want to be able to do your daily job without straining your hips or knees, to reach things high up on a kitchen shelf, or to simply get in and out of your car without pain. By communicating your goals to your therapist, you will ensure that your therapies are tailored to your individual needs.
Contact Goin Beyond Physical Therapy Today!
There is no reason for you to be in pain all the time. If you are beyond ready for relief from arthritis pain, call our office to schedule your first appointment with a physical therapist. Goin Beyond Physical Therapy will be more than happy to assist you in returning to a life uninhibited by aches and pains.
