Are you looking for Arthritis pain relief? You’re not alone.
Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States. Over 70 million people suffer from some type of arthritis. Simply arthritis is joint inflammation. There are many types of arthritis and people of all ages can have it. Key symptoms of arthritis include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. The most common types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout arthritis.
Osteoarthritis – Is the most common type and occurs when the cartilage that covers the end of the bones slowly wears away and it occurs more often with age. It commonly affects the hips, low back, neck, knees, and hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis – is an autoimmune disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue causing the joint lining to swell. People of all ages can get it and commonly affects knees, hands, and wrists.
Gout arthritis – Occurs when the body overproduces or cannot get rid of uric acid. Usually, people over 35 years of age can get it. This arthritis affects more commonly the knees, wrists, and big toe.
At Total Care Physical Therapy, our experienced physical therapist will evaluate your condition to determine your strength, range of motion, and joint mobility deficits. Then a completely customized treatment plan will be formulated to treat and help you improve and manage your condition. Total Care Physical Therapy offers a range of treatments designed to help slow the progression of the disease, relieve joint pain and discomfort, and improve joint function for enhanced mobility. For more information, Contact us at Hillsborough, NJ center.
Read our blog post on how to find pain relief from arthritis with physical therapy by clicking here!
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 body parts?
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.
Can arthritis be cured?
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.