Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints which causes swelling between the bones. When you use the joints or when pressure is applied to the joints, it leads to severe pain. Arthritis might slow down the regular activities of a patient but he/she might not worry since physical therapy is recommended to be the best treatment for arthritis and it can change the life of an arthritis patient.
The pain and stiffness caused in the joints is the main symptom of arthritis. Arthritis affects people of all ages, but it mainly affects women who are overweight and above the age of 65. Arthritis can affect the knees, hips, feet, and hands. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis but the most common ones are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
According to arthritis.org, in the United States, more than 50 million adults and 3 lakh children suffer from one of the types of arthritis.
Causes of Arthritis
The most common type of arthritis found in most individuals is Osteoarthritis. It is caused due to damage in the cartilage, a soft connective tissue in the joints between the bones. The main function of cartilage is to save the joints from the extreme pressure or stress put on them. When the amount of cartilage tissue gets reduced, one bone starts to rub with another bone thus developing arthritis.
Another most common type of arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system of the body attacks the synovial membrane, a fluid that lubricates the joints. It leads to inflammation and swelling of the joints.
Arthritis also affects individuals who have a family history of arthritis. Those who play sports that puts more pressure on the joints also have a high risk of developing arthritis. People with excessive body weight and obesity also increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of Arthritis
Since there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, the symptoms vary for each type from mild to severe. Some of the common symptoms of arthritis include
- Pain in the joints, hands, knees, hips
- Redness and Swelling
- Stiffness
- Tiredness and Weakness
Physical Therapy for Arthritis
The report says that one among four American adults shows the symptoms of arthritis. Arthritis diagnosed in the early stage can be controlled through physical therapy. A therapist shares his experience that the patient who visits him solicits him to make them “pain-free”.
Physical Therapy is the treatment process that keeps the patients away from chemical medications and involves them in physical activities to promote the process of healing in them. Though it is a slow process and takes more time, the recovery rate is high. Physical therapy exercises help to improve the strength and flexibility of muscles.
What a Physical Therapist might Do?
A physical therapist will examine your condition and level of arthritis so that he/she can develop a specific program for you to fight back arthritis. If you have pain in the knee caused by arthritis, then your therapist will guide you through an exercise program that strengthens the knee along with the hip, lower back and ankle since these are the areas responsible for proper knee control. The physical therapy treatment includes the following methods.
1) Heat/Cold Therapy
Since heat stimulates the circulation of blood and reduces muscle spasms, this therapy helps in triggering the healing force in your body. Heat therapy boosts blood supply and increases the relaxation of muscles. You can prefer any of the following methods.
- Heating pads
- Heated cloths
- Warm bath
- Heated swimming pool
Cold therapy helps in narrowing the blood vessels as a result of which the swelling caused in the joints get reduced. Cold packs can be used for this therapy which reduces the pain in the joints.
2) Developing Range-of-Motion
Arthritis patients often keep their troubling areas in a bent position, to get relief from the pain temporarily. This leads to loss of mobility and range-of-motion exercises helps to increase movements.
The exercises include straightening and bending the joints slowly in a controlled manner in order to strengthen the muscles and support the joints. These exercises can also be done as a warmup exercise before performing strengthening exercises.
3) Bracing
The use of braces around the affected areas such as knees provides support to the joints and reduces pain. When an arthritis patient does some physical activity, he/she might experience swelling of the joints and braces provide compression which reduces the swelling. Bracing acts as a natural support system so that the patients can do their regular activities.
Final Thoughts
Arthritis patients might stay away from exercises because of the pain and swelling caused by the disease. But involving themselves in physical activities regularly is important since reduced activity might increase the body weight. Physical activity decreases bone loss and increases the strength of affected joints. Both physical and mental health can be enhanced through physical activities.
