Can Physical Therapy Help Arthritis?

Arthritis has over 100 conditions causing joint inflammation, deterioration, pain, and movement problems.

People usually treat it with medicine and lifestyle changes, but physical therapy is also important.

Physical therapy uses methods that don’t involve surgery to ease arthritis symptoms, bring back lost abilities, and slow down how the condition worsens.

Common Types

Arthritis comes in many types, but two are most common:

1. Osteoarthritis – happens when cartilage breaks down and extra bone grows. It usually affects joints and comes from normal wear and tear over time.

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis – is different. It’s an autoimmune disease that makes joints swollen and inflamed because of changes in the immune system. Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can affect many joints at once and cause overall symptoms.

There are more types of arthritis too. Gout gives sudden, strong pain and swelling.

Lupus and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune conditions that affect both joints and skin. Some types can happen after infections like Lyme disease or stomach problems. Knowing about these types helps doctors find the right treatment.

Impacts on the Body

Common effects of arthritis include:

1. Joint Pain, Swelling, Stiffness:

Arthritis often presents with persistent joint pain, noticeable swelling, and stiffness. This trio of symptoms can significantly impact the affected joints, leading to discomfort and difficulty in movement.

2. Decreased Mobility and Flexibility:

Arthritis can make joints feel painful and stiff, making it harder to move easily. People might struggle with daily tasks that need joint movement, affecting how much they can move.

3. Reduced Stability, Coordination:

Arthritis can compromise the stability of joints, affecting coordination. This reduction in stability makes simple movements more challenging, increasing the risk of falls or accidents.

4. Muscle Weakness or Atrophy:

Chronic joint issues often lead to muscle weakness or atrophy in the surrounding areas. The inability to use affected joints fully can result in the weakening of associated muscles.

5. Impaired Daily Function:

Arthritis significantly hinders daily activities, making routine tasks more difficult, such as walking, lifting, or even holding objects. The impact on daily function can affect overall quality of life.

6. Increased Fatigue, Poor Sleep:

Dealing with constant pain and discomfort from arthritis can lead to increased fatigue. Additionally, the pain may disrupt sleep, contributing to a cycle of fatigue and diminished overall well-being.

7. Weight Gain from Inactivity:

Individuals with arthritis may become less active due to pain, leading to weight gain. Inactivity can further exacerbate the joint issues, creating a challenging cycle that impacts overall health.

8. Limited Strength Restricting Activities:

Weak muscles and limited joint movement make people less strong, stopping them from doing different activities.

This can affect both fun and important tasks, making life less enjoyable. It’s important to understand and deal with these effects to create plans that help manage arthritis and make life better for those dealing with it.

Without intervention, arthritis progresses to increasingly detrimental physical disability and comorbidities.

Goals of Physical Therapy

Custom-tailored PT programs aim to:

Reduce inflammatory response
Improve joint mobility
Restore muscle strength
Rebuild physical endurance/stamina
Enhance balance, gait, coordination
Reinforce sustainable exercise routines
Delay/prevent further joint destruction
Expand capabilities for daily tasks

This rehabilitation alleviates current struggles while optimizing future outlook by protecting remaining cartilage integrity and preventing complications from inactivity.

Modalities Used In Arthritis PT

PTs draw from various treatment techniques to meet arthritis patient needs including:

Special exercises are designed to help each person based on their joint limits and prevent more damage.

These exercises include stretches, gentle strength training, and easy aerobics to keep joints strong and moving well.

Manual therapy means hands-on techniques like massage, joint mobilization, myofascial release, and gentle stretches.

These methods align the body’s structure and relieve pain, especially when dealing with stiffness. With these exercises add joint supplements like JointXL Plus and ProJoint Plus to enhance your overall joint well-being. It’s often the first choice for treating stiffness symptoms.

Aquatic Therapy:

In water, you can get stronger with gentle resistance, and it’s easier on your joints compared to exercises on land. It also helps you relax.

Assistive Devices:

Using tools like splints, braces, special tape, and walking aids such as canes can help you move better and make your joints more stable.

Other choices include ultrasound or TENS to decrease pain and swelling directly, and advice on what to eat with arthritis. Physical therapists change their methods based on how patients do during the several weeks of rehab.

Efficacy of Arthritis PT – By The Numbers

Substantial published research demonstrates physical therapy’s clear efficacy for arthritis relief, including:

25% average reduction in pain comparable to analgesics without risks
37% average improvement in mobility and flexibility
31% average increase in muscular strength
83% of rheumatoid arthritis patients saw reduced swelling
52% average increase in balance measures
61% increase in walking speeds
35% less long-term functional impairment
5 to 10-year average delay of knee/hip replacements

By consistently taking part in Central Valley Physical Therapy, you can regain abilities without having to rely solely on medications you take by mouth or through injections for a long time.

Considerations

To deal with arthritis using physical therapy, you must go to appointments and exercise at home every day.

It takes about 4-6 weeks to see benefits, and you’ll see the most improvement after 12 weeks or more.

Following the plan is important, but it’s worth it because you’ll keep improving and gaining back physical abilities.

Finding a Physical Therapist

Not all PTs specialize in arthritis treatment. Seeking one familiar with each type’s biomechanical effects ensures optimal outcomes. Those with advanced manual therapy and orthopedics credentials regularly treat arthritis patients produce the best results.

Conclusion

To sum up, physical therapy, along with other treatments, is an important part of managing different types of arthritis.

Physical therapists help relieve many challenges people with arthritis face daily without using drugs.

They use exercises, hands-on therapy, water therapy, tools, and teaching new ways to walk.

All these help people regain strength, move more easily, and do daily tasks safely. Many studies show that physical therapy is very helpful in reducing the impact of arthritis and improving patients’ lives.