Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. In fact, over 65 million people in the US have osteoarthritis to some degree. Arthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage in a joint. This wear and tear over time leads to bone spurs, poor tissue strength, inflammation, pain, weakness of surrounding muscles and poor joint movement.
Symptoms of arthritis:
- Pain with daily activities
- Limited range of motion and stiffness
- Swelling and tenderness
- Poor balance
- Reports of intermittent pain
- Loss of function with normal tasks such as cleaning, dressing, lifting groceries, working, etc.
What Can Be Done to Help Arthritis Pain?
There are many things that can be done to help arthritis pain beginning with preventing the flare-up from occurring in the first place. This begins with knowing a few key concepts that can lead you live a healthier and happier life by dealing with your osteoarthritis:
- Protect your joints. For example, don’t lift heavy objects in one hand.
- Make sure you stretch often to keep proper joint motion.
- Do strengthening exercises to add muscle support to the affected joint.
- Drink plenty of water to hydrate your tissues.
- Avoid inflammatory foods such as fried foods, sugary foods, soda, enriched processed foods, etc.
- Seek help before you start taking pain pills, our physical therapists can show you how to reduce your pain!
Physical therapy is one of the ideal treatments for helping people with arthritis pain. Not only do we help to maximize your joint movement, but we improve your strength and show you what to do to maintain your joint health. For questions on how we can help you with your arthritis pain, contact us today!
