Joint pain is one of the most common reasons that patients visit our team, and for good reason. Physical therapy is extremely beneficial for patients who are suffering from arthritic degeneration in any of their joints. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why physical therapy is such a wise pursuit if you are dealing with arthritis of one or more joints.
The Benefits Of PT For Arthritic Joints
There are more than 100 different forms of arthritis, and there is no way to reverse arthritis damage, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything if you’re dealing with mild or moderate arthritic degeneration. Physical therapy can help to stave off symptoms and slow or even stop the progression of arthritis in your joints, ensuring they function optimally for years to come. Here’s why physical therapy can be so helpful for arthritic joints:
- Stabilization And Strengthening – If the joints around your muscles aren’t all that strong, they won’t be able to provide stability to your joint. This instability can cause symptoms when the joint is stressed. Conversely, if the nearby muscles and ligaments are stronger and better able to support the joint, stress won’t be as impactful on the joint. Working to target specific muscle groups during physical therapy can strengthen key muscles and stabilize an unstable joint.
- Increased Mobility – Joint stiffness is one of the most common complaints from individuals suffering from joint arthritis, as the condition can make it difficult to move the area in a complete motion. Physical therapy can help you gradually expand your comfortable range of motion and preserve flexibility in the joint. Gentle stretches and range of motion exercises can help to ward off uncomfortable stiffness in your joints.
- Pain Management – Physical therapy can also be an effective method for controlling pain caused by joint arthritis. Joint strengthening and changes to your gait or body positioning can help take stress off your joint, which could be causing pain and discomfort during activity.
- Lubricated Joints – Motion helps with the production of synovial fluid in your joints, which helps to keep structures lubricated and moving more easily. Many people shy away from movement or activity when arthritis starts to make movement a bit uncomfortable, but inactivity only tends to make symptoms worse. A physical therapy program can help to keep you active and joints lubricated.
- Assistive Device Introduction – Our physical therapy team can also help introduce and improve your use of certain assistive devices if arthritis is more severe and affecting your mobility. We can help you move more effectively with devices like a cane or walker so that you can still remain independent in the face of arthritis.
- Movement Improvements – Your posture or your movement patterns when you perform daily tasks could also be contributing to your arthritis or your symptoms. We can teach you optimal movement patterns so that certain daily tasks like going down stairs, washing the dishes or carrying a laundry basket are both safe and comfortable.
If you or someone you know is battling arthritic degeneration, fight back against symptoms and remain independent with the help of a physical therapy program. In the greater Twin Cities area, sync up with the team at OrthoRehab Specialists. Give our team a call today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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