Relieving Arthritis Pain
Are you experiencing pain in your groin or stiffness in your back? Do you find it painful to go up and down stairs? Are these symptoms making it difficult for you to go about your daily routine?
You could be suffering from osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 30 million nationwide. OA is a degenerative joint disease often described as “wear and tear” arthritis. Repetitive movement and prior injuries also contribute to the condition. Early on, the condition most commonly is associated with stiffness and ache after prolonged rest and inactivity. As the condition advances, inflammation leads to pain and loss of motion in the joints. While arthritis can be debilitating, there’s a lot that you can do to alleviate the pain and improve your function, joint movement, muscle strength, balance, and coordination. It’s even possible to eliminate symptoms, depending on the amount of arthritis you have.
Call our clinic today to make an appointment. With guidance from your physical therapist, you can find solutions to your pain and get back to living the life you enjoy!
What Is Arthritis, Exactly?
Everyone’s fall risk is different. No single factor determines your likelihood of a fall; instead, it’s a complex blend of age, lifestyle choices, Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease. The main characteristic is the loss of articular cartilage and joint disability. It is known as the “wear and tear” form of arthritis. The breakdown of the cartilage affects the whole joint, causing inflammation, bone/joint structural changes, and bone spur formation.
Primary osteoarthritis has no known cause, but almost 30–65% is thought to be genetically determined. Secondary osteoarthritis mainly comes from traumatic events. Despite the differences in the causes, the two types of osteoarthritis progress in similar directions, ultimately resulting in the loss and destruction of articular cartilage.
Typical symptoms include pain, muscle weakness, joint instability, brief morning stiffness, crepitus (i.e., noises like snaps and pops), and physical inactivity.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“I have been treated with friendliness and respect. The exercises are explained well and demonstrated to be sure of my understanding on how to perform them. I’ve always felt that my well being was their first concern!” – J.P.
What Causes Osteoarthritis?
There is increasing evidence that different risk factors are associated with osteoarthritis, including:
- Obesity
- Genetic predispositions
- Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., female gender, African-American race)
- Specific bone/joint shapes
There are also physical risk factors associated with increased osteoarthritis including:
- Joint injury
- Participation in certain occupational activities (i.e., repetitive movements like bending or prolonged positions like sitting/driving)
- Participation in sports (i.e. contact sports)
- Thigh flexor muscle weakness and knee osteoarthritis
- Joint malalignment
Although aging is one of the most significant risk factors for osteoarthritis, obesity is also a major contributor to developing osteoarthritis. Obese patients have extra weight on their bodies that add to cartilage breakdown. Recent research suggests that unhealthy diets are associated with systemic inflammation. This inflammation is responsible for a 2.5-times higher likelihood of experiencing knee pain than patients with healthy weight and diets and similar cartilage damage. However, this cycle can be broken by improving joint movement, muscle strength, balance, and coordination, reducing pain and inflammation.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Arthritis
Your physical therapist will assess your particular condition to identify the contributing factors and address all of them. Regardless of the cause of arthritis, physical therapy plays a significant role in treating arthritis symptoms and should be the first step. Your therapist can educate you on how regular physical activity and individualized exercise programs can reduce your pain, prevent the condition from worsening, and improve daily function. Physical therapists can also help you choose healthier lifestyles for losing weight if you are overweight or obese. In addition, your PT can guide you on ways to maintain a healthy weight using diet changes and exercise. In many cases, physical therapy can help patients by choosing specific exercises and designing appropriate strengthening exercises that improve your function without aggravating your pain. Your therapist can help you reclaim a healthy lifestyle. From start to finish, we’re dedicated to your ongoing well-being. On every level, physical therapy serves to enhance the patient’s quality of life.
Call Our Clinic Today
Contact one of our providers today, and tell us about your symptoms. We offer the results you are looking for!
Cupid’s Vanilla Berry Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces Horizon Organic low-fat Vanilla Milk
- ½ cup Horizon Organic Fat-Free Plain Yogurt (can substitute with vanilla flavored yogurt for a sweeter smoothie)
- ½ cup frozen red berries
- ½ cup ice
Directions:
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Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
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Divide between two glasses and serve immediately.
Tips for A Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day!
This year, don’t forget the most important Valentine of all: your heart! With February being the month of love and American Heart Month, here are a few tips to combine them into one fabulous celebration:
- Try a heart-healthy treat: Pomegranate seeds, good dark chocolate, and sweet strawberries are all delicious alternatives to candy hearts.
- Take a ballroom dance class with your sweetheart: Nothing’s more romantic than a sweeping waltz or sultry tango. But ballroom dancing is also a great cardio workout–making it the perfect date night for American Heart Month!
- Sink into a relaxing bubble bath: Stress contributes to cardiovascular disease, so this month, set aside time to rest and relax with a bubble bath. Dim the lights, burn a few candles, and settle down with your favorite romantic read.
Want more healthy heart tips this February–or any month of the year? Schedule an appointment with our team today!
3 Simple Movements to Help Alleviate OA Pain
If you have osteoarthritis, it’s important to stay active to help keep your joints healthy. While our physical therapists can help you develop a suitable exercise program, you can also incorporate movement in small ways throughout the day. These simple exercises will help mobilize your joints, and you can easily do them at home. Of course, check with your PT before starting anything new!
Knee Raises
Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight and your feet planted on the floor. Slowly lift your knee as high as possible without bending your back, guiding it up with your hands if necessary. Then, making sure to keep your core tight, gently lower your foot back to the floor. Repeat on the other side.
Ankle Circles
While sitting in a chair, stretch your feet out in front of you, keeping them neutral (neither pointed or flexed). Gently tilt both feet in one direction, then repeat in the other.
Overhead Shoulder Stretches
You can do this exercise sitting or standing. Hold your arms at your side, your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and your thumbs pointed toward your shoulders. Then, stretch your arms straight overhead and slowly lower back down. If lifting both arms is too difficult, lift them one at a time. You can guide your arm up under the elbow if necessary.
Looking for more simple arthritis stretches? Call PTI for an appointment today!
Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32364594/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5832048/
- https://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-research/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.631291/full
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106345841931297X
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25785564/
- https://journals.lww.com/co-rheumatology/Abstract/2018/03000/Epidemiology_of_osteoarthritis__literature_update.5.aspx
- https://www.theseasonedmom.com/cupids-vanilla-berry-smoothie-and-a-valentines-day-lunchbox/
- https://arthritis.ca/living-well/2020/top-10-arthritis-exercises