| | |

Arthritis Pain Physiotherapy

Arthritis is a super common condition, and refers to inflammation and pain in the joints.

These types of pain tend to be recurring and ongoing, and also tends to be localized to the affect arthritic joint only. Arthritic pains are caused by the inflammation 

  • around the joint
  • damage to the joint from diseases
  • daily wear and tear within the joint
  • muscle strained from forceful movements across or against stiff, painful and fatigued joints.

There are more than 100 different sub types of arthritic groups, but the most common one is osteoarthritis (a type of degenerative joint disease, aggravated by wear and tear)

Other lesser known arthritis are

  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • psoriasis related arthritis and
  • other related autoimmune diseases

As a sort of reference point:

  • osteoarthritis affects more than 3.8% of people while rheumatoid arthritis affects about 0.24% of people
  • gouty arthritis affects about 1–2% of the Western population at some point in their lives
  • In Australia about 15% of people are affected, while in the United States more than 20% have a type of arthritis.

Generally, arthritis gets more common and worsens with age and time; and unfortunately it’s a common reason that people miss work and can result in a decreased quality of life.

Signs and symptoms of arthritis

The most common, is aches and pain.

The intensity can vary, but it’s the most common symptom of arthritis, other than

  • joint swelling
  • joint stiffness
  • aching around the joint(s)

Arthritic disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can affect other organs in the body, leading to a variety of symptoms.

Symptoms may include:

  • Difficulty and inability to use the hand or legs
  • Stiffness, which may be worse in the morning, or after use
  • Malaise and fatigue (generalized tiredness)
  • Weight loss
  • Poor sleep
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Tenderness
  • Difficulty moving the painful affected joint

It is common in advanced arthritis for significant secondary changes to occur. For example, arthritic symptoms might make it difficult for a person to move around and/or exercise, which can lead to secondary effects, such as:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Loss of flexibility
  • Decreased aerobic fitness

…which have a vicious cycle, as it then leads to more primary symptoms, working together to destroy one’s ability to move, play and work normally.

Disability due to arthritis

Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States.

To add to that, there’s more than 20,000,000 individuals with arthritis with bad enough limitations with movement and function, and this hurts not only the individuals themselves, but also ability to work too as well as increased costs of healthcare and absence from work.

Arthritis can make life very hard, for responsibilities, work and life and moving around generally. Some even have to be wheelchair- or bed-bound, depending on terrible their

  • pain
  • joint / soft tissue changes

Patients not only lose the ability to work and move, but it also causes them to become weak, obese and depressed as well.

Diagnosing arthritis

Diagnosis is always made by the right medical professional (usually rheumatic or bone doctors), and may be supported with tests such as radiology and blood tests depending on the type of arthritis.

Every arthritis is different:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis is generally worse in the morning and associated with stiffness lasting over 30 minutes.
  • Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, tends to be associated with morning stiffness which eases relatively quickly with movement and exercise.
  • Ankylosing spondylitis patients report more stiffness in the lower limb first, and the stiffness “moves” up to the spine gradually
  • etc

Physiotherapy and hand therapy for arthritis

Research shows that physical therapy, hand therapy and regular physical activity of the affected arthritic joints improve long-term pain relief; as well as maintains the health of the joint and the overall body health too.

Physical therapy and hand therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain, and delay need for surgical intervention in early to advanced arthritic cases (and even prevent in some cases). Exercise prescribed by a physiotherapist has been shown to be more effective than medications in treating osteoarthritis of the knee.

Physiotherapy intervention includes

  • decreasing and managing ongoing pain and inflammation with cold therapy
  • ultrasound therapy to accelerate the healing process
  • joint and soft tissue movement and range of motion
  • muscle strengthening of the affected joints and the muscles around it
  • prescribe any walking aids if necessary and train how to use them safely and effectively
  • prescribe customized finger, hand or foot splints

Research shows that physical therapy, hand therapy and regular physical activity of the affected arthritic joints improve long-term pain relief; as well as maintains the health of the joint and the overall body health too.

Physical therapy and hand therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain, and delay need for surgical intervention in early to advanced arthritic cases (and even prevent in some cases). Exercise prescribed by a physiotherapist has been shown to be more effective than medications in treating osteoarthritis of the knee.

Physiotherapy intervention includes

  • decreasing and managing ongoing pain and inflammation with cold therapy
  • ultrasound therapy to accelerate the healing process
  • joint and soft tissue movement and range of motion
  • muscle strengthening of the affected joints and the muscles around it
  • prescribe any walking aids if necessary and train how to use them safely and effectively
  • prescribe customized finger, hand or foot splints

Where To Next?

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *