Can Physical Therapy Help Relieve My Arthritis Pain?

Arthritis, affecting more than 50 million in the United States, is the leading cause of disability. It is due to the inflammation or degeneration of the joints leading to pain and disability. Physical therapy is an effective, non-invasive method for treating any kind of injury and condition, and arthritis pain is no such exception. Physical therapists help patients with targeted exercises and pain-relieving modalities to promote pain relief for arthritis San Pedro, CA.

Some Words About Arthritis

Arthritis is the inflammation or degeneration of the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. The symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly and usually worsen with age. 

Even though more than a hundred different types of arthritis exist, the most common one is osteoarthritis, and the other common ones include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout.

1) Osteoarthritis 

This is the most common type of arthritis that occurs when the protective tissue cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. The risk of osteoarthritis increases with age, joint injuries, being a woman, or overweight issues. The most common symptoms are pain, swelling, tenderness, and reduced range of motion, and the condition usually affects joints in the hands, hips, and knees.

2) Rheumatoid Arthritis 

It is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly affects its own healthy tissues, thus causing inflammation in the lining of the joints. The risk of rheumatoid arthritis increases with age, smoking, or overweight issues. The most common symptoms are joint stiffness, swelling, fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Arthritis Pain

Physical therapy offers a wide range of benefits by helping arthritis patients achieve an improved quality of life. The common benefits are

• Specialized Treatments – During the initial treatment of physical therapy for arthritis, highly-trained physical therapists analyze the patients’ symptoms, medical history and conduct a physical examination. With the results obtained from this evaluation, they develop an individualized treatment plan that includes exercises and other effective methods that suits the patients’ health goals.
• Improve Muscle Strength – The wear and tear of the cartilage resulting from osteoarthritis cause painful friction between the joint’s bones, making it difficult to move the surrounding joint. Physical therapists identify the areas of degeneration and suggest strengthening exercises to decrease friction and stabilize the muscles that support the arthritic joints.
• Increase Joint Range of Motion – Physical therapists recommend targeted exercises to address the stiffened joints that result from osteoarthritis. These exercises help increase the range of motion in the joints, allowing normal movements such as bending and straightening the joints.
• Enhance Balance – Arthritis leads to muscle weakness, reduced mobility, and limited joint function, thus causing balance problems. Physical therapists help patients with challenging activities that help improve balance and reduce the risk of falling.

Different Physical Therapy Treatments for Arthritis

Physical therapists will perform a thorough evaluation and ask about the patients’ symptoms and medical history. They also conduct a physical examination by analyzing their movements, balance, posture, and range of motion. Then they create an individualized treatment plan that helps ease arthritis symptoms, enhance joint health, and improve their quality of life.

The treatment plan for arthritis will be a combination of both passive modalities and active procedures. Passive physical therapy means that the patients are the recipient of the treatment, and their participation is not required. Active physical therapy means that the patients’ active involvement in performing the exercises is needed.

Passive Treatments

Heat/Cold Therapy

Heat packs or warm towels are placed on the pain experienced area to increase blood flow and bring enough oxygen, thus relieving muscle spasms. Ice packs or ice cubes wrapped in a towel are applied to the affected area to control blood flow and reduce inflammation and pain. These are the most common methods preferred for pain relief for arthritis in San Pedro, CA.

Massage Therapy 

Physical therapists use their hands to manipulate the soft tissues by applying varying degrees of pressure. It enhances blood flow, relaxes the muscles, and increases flexibility.

TENS Therapy 

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is one of the passive physical therapy modalities that transfers electric current through electrodes placed on the patients’ body. These electric impulses change the perception of pain by blocking pain signals to the brain and increasing the release of endorphins in the body, thus helping pain relief for arthritis.

Ultrasound Therapy

This method uses sound waves to create heat in the deep tissues, thus enhancing circulation and reducing inflammation caused by arthritis. It also eliminates stiffness and muscle spasms and improves the range of motion in arthritis patients.

Active Treatments

Exercises are extremely beneficial for arthritis pain sufferers in several ways as they help reduce weight and increase muscle flexibility. Physical therapists create a specific exercise program according to the patients’ needs and goals. 

They suggest stretches and strengthening exercises to increase muscle strength so that they can help protect the joints affected by arthritis and support them. They also recommend a range of motion exercises to relieve stiffness, increase flexibility, and enhance normal joint movement. Aerobic exercises like walking, cycling, and swimming are also effective in reducing weight, helping with cardiovascular fitness, and improving overall function.

Final Thoughts

Arthritis is a common condition that can affect anyone of us, even our children. Even though there is no complete cure for arthritis pain, physical therapy treatments including modalities and exercises effectively help manage pain and help patients have control over them without worsening the symptoms.