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Health and Wellness Blog
If You’re Living with Arthritis, There’s Hope – Find Relief with PT
Physiotherapy may help manage arthritis pain!
Have you ever experienced pain in your lower back, knees, wrists, hips, or joints? Arthritis may be the culprit. Arthritis is a joint condition that causes discomfort, stiffness, swelling, and inflammation.
In the event that only one joint is inflamed, the condition is known as monoarthritis. If two or three joints are involved, they are referred to as oligoarthritis. Many people with arthritis suffer a lack of mobility or a decline in their range of motion, as joint swelling and inflammation makes it hard to move.
For those living with arthritis, the use of over-the-counter pain medication can feel essential. While pain medications can certainly play a role in arthritis management, we strongly encourage exercise as an alternative or accompaniment to support lasting relief, improved fitness, and greater freedom in daily life. Physiotherapists are here to support this!
Contact Craven SPORT services today to learn more about physiotherapy and how an individualized approach to managing arthritis may be the strategy you’ve been looking for!
How can physiotherapy benefit me?
Physiotherapy is all about engaging in physical activity and exercise in order to improve your overall health. Regular physical activity is essential for achieving the highest levels of physical and mental health, and it is critical to the management of arthritis.
Your physiotherapist may develop a recovery regimen that covers all parts of the body. For example, if you have arthritis pain in your knee, your workout program will target your lower back, hip, and ankle, in addition to your knee.This is because all of these areas contribute to proper mobility of the knee.Proper lifting and squatting exercises will also be part of the recovery plan, as well as moving large items in the right way so that you can learn how to minimize undue pressure on your back.
Physiotherapy can also involve manual therapy with soft tissue mobilization, deep tissue massage, TENS, ice packs, and heat therapy. Each of these therapies are passive approaches that help to reduce inflammation, increase blood circulation, reduce pain, increase mobility, and enhance range of motion.
Physiotherapy is a healthy, natural, and non-invasive treatment approach for arthritis pain.
What happens after I get diagnosed with arthritis?
When you first see your physiotherapist, he or she will inspect your joints for deformity and inflammation, check for signs of illness, and review your history of symptoms. They may also refer you to your family physician for blood or urine tests, x-rays, or joint fluid tests as needed.
The sooner your arthritis is caught and diagnosed, the greater chance you have of maintaining your strength and mobility later in life. Early diagnosis can help prevent impairment and irreversible harm. Your physiotherapist is likely to suggest certain exercise and lifestyle considerations to get you started on your arthritis journey. Client education is a huge component of this process!
It’s crucial that you perform your exercises safely and properly in order to prevent injury, so make sure you listen when your physiotherapist gives you tips!
Do you have any of these common types of arthritis?
There are over 100 types of arthritis. Below is a list of some of the most common ones and the parts of the body they affect the most.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This results from an overactive immune system. It affects the hands, feet, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles.
- Osteoarthritis. This condition occurs due to wear and tear of the cartilage. It typically affects the spine, hands, knees, and hips.
- Gout. This condition is extremely painful and occurs when there is an increased level of uric acid in your bloodstream.
- Psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis typically affects large joints, causing inflammation in the places where tendons and ligaments connect to bone.
Arthritis is the most common chronic illness in the nation. According to Arthritis.org, “More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.”
These statistics likely fuel the misconception that arthritis only affects the elderly. My contrast, arthritis can render people at all ages unable to work, and many suffering from it are forced to go on extended leaves of absence. Arthritic pain can seriously interrupt a person’s routine, quality of life, and overall mobility.
Physiotherapy is a tried and true management strategy for those with arthritis. While it may exist alongside other interventions, we strongly encourage those who are finding life impacted by arthritis-related pain or mobility limitations to contact our team of physiotherapists in Saskatoon today. For those with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis, our 8-week exercise intervention program is also worth considering!
Discover arthritis relief today
Arthritis pain can be an exhausting, frustrating, and crippling condition. While there remains no known ‘cure’ for arthritis, physiotherapy is an evidence-based treatment approach that is natural, non-invasive, and compassionate. If you are struggling with arthritis pain, we encourage you to make an appointment with one of the licensed physiotherapists at Craven SPORT services in Saskatoon today!