Arthritis |
ArthritisArthritis, in a nutshell, is a painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints. Despite the many forms and symptoms of arthritis, physical therapy has a long history of helping arthritis sufferers deal not only with the pain from arthritis but even more beneficially limiting the detrimental effects it can bring. Some of the most common sites for arthritis are:
Is there Anything that can Help? So, you might be asking, just how can physical therapy help? My doctor told me there’s no cure. Even though resting a painful swollen joint is the appropriate thing to do during a flare up, when that flare up resolves it’s time to limit the negative effects of that inactivity. Physical therapists are trained to use various hands on manual techniques to mobilize joints and muscles in ways that improve motion and strength particularly in areas that may be hard for you to address. They will also help you regain your strength in affected muscles. This increased strength is vital to a healthy joint because if the muscles around a joint don’t have their natural strength it puts stress and strain on the joint/joints. This can cause more irritation and possibly additional flare ups. For more information on your particular problem click on one of the links above. |