Physical Therapy for Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, or Arthritis for short, cause stiff joints and hinder body movements. Building a healthy routine is important to relieve those joint pains and slow down the disease’s progression. Therefore, people often find Physical Therapy as a beneficial treatment for arthritis.

Physical Therapy focuses on strengthening the movement of the joints that have been compromised by the disease. The practice has shown a remarkable success on helping arthritis patients to maintain a range of mobility and reduce strain on stiffed joints. If you have arthritis, the following benefits should encourage you to look up physiotherapy near me:

1. Improved Range of Joint Motion

Osteoarthritis triggers joint inflammation and stiffness. Regular movement is integral to keep your joints limber and flexible. Maintaining regular Physical Therapy sessions will help your body to bend and straighten a joint with much ease. Simpler anecdotes include walking exercises which are low-impact activities to relieve arthritis pain and swelling.

Range of motion is an important factor for patients to continue even in the most mundane routines. For example, exercising an arthritic knee to bend better will bring significant comfort in sitting on or getting up from a low chair. On the other hand, restricting movements will develop immediate increase in pain, stiffness, and mobility disabilities.

2. Strengthening Support Joints

It may seem unlikely but strength training, also referred to as weightlifting, has been proven to minimize pain and enhance strength and function for those with arthritis. Physical Therapy uses strength training exercises to reduce the friction between the joints, to counter the tear of protective cartilages caused by arthritis.

Therapists identify and locate the area of deficiencies to address it with functional strengthening. This improves the general strength and stability in muscles that support the affected joint, offloading much of that strain. It is important to find aid from an expert to figure out the exercises which are best suited for your particular type of arthritis. If you are experiencing a sharp pain or arthritis flare-up, switch to low-impact water exercises until the inflammation subsides.

3. Posture Adjustment

Arthritis results in poor biomechanics when one sits, walks, or even stands. An impaired posture or balance can heighten the extra strain and cause damage to your joints. Physical Therapy help patients to discover the posture that will benefit their biomechanics and help slow the progression of arthritis.

Your physical therapist can educate you to put less stress on your joints by adjusting your posture. Simple changes in your posture while driving or sitting in office, can help make your everyday routine movements easier.

4. Relaxing Massages

Massages help revive blood circulation and movement in stiffed joints as the practice focuses on soft tissue manipulation to help release muscle tension. Arthritis patients can look forward to a decrease in pain and improved flexibility in muscles due to a professional massage. Physical Therapists target affected joints and tendons to enhance blood flow in sore and sedentary areas. You could also think about getting a good massager and giving yourself nice relaxing massages regularly.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMSD) recognizes massages to assist muscle relaxation, improve joint mobility and provide tension and stress relief. Do not ever undervalue the importance of an enjoyable massage at the end of your exercise session.

Image Credits: Christian Dorn