Take a Proactive Approach to Arthritis Pain with Physical and Occupational Therapy
Have you recently learned that your persistent joint pain is the result of arthritis? For many, this can be a challenging discovery, as the most common forms of arthritis have no known cures. But rest assured that you do not have to spend your life living with debilitating joint pain — physical and occupational therapy can help!
Arthritis refers to several conditions that cause joint inflammation, leading to its two primary symptoms: pain and mobility restriction. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, can cause pain during movement. It’s no surprise, then, that many people with arthritis wind up avoiding physical activity.
In reality, regular physical activity is one of the best ways to manage arthritis pain. Physical activity can also help delay the progression of arthritis and help you avoid surgery. At PhysioWorks, our physical and occupational therapists can help you get moving so you can take a proactive role in your treatment.
Physical Therapy Vs. Occupational Therapy: What to Know
Physical therapy
Helps enhance overall strength, mobility, and function. It’s particularly helpful if arthritis increases your risk of falling.
Occupational therapy
Enhances fine motor skills and can help optimize your daily activities to avoid arthritis pain. It’s especially helpful if arthritis affects your hands, wrists, or shoulders.
Got Arthritis? What To Expect if You Skip Regular Exercise
Your muscles will weaken.
One of the big benefits of exercise is that it builds and maintains muscle mass. If you don’t exercise regularly, your muscle mass will decrease, especially if you’re older, as muscle mass naturally decrease, especially as you age, your muscle mass naturally decreases.
What does this mean if you have arthritis? Without strong muscles, your impacted joints don’t get the strength and stability they need to function, which puts even more stress on them — and means more pain in the long run.
Your joints will get stiffer.
Our bodies are made to move, and when we don’t move them frequently enough, our joints don’t get the lubrication they need to run properly. This is as true for people with arthritis as it is for anyone else. Plus, since arthritis causes joint stiffness, not moving will only worsen your symptoms.
You increase your risk of injury.
When you don’t exercise, you start to lose everyday abilities like balance, stability, and coordination. You can also develop muscular imbalances, improper biomechanics, or postural issues, all of which increase your odds of suffering an injury. This is true for weight-bearing joints like your hips and knees, and smaller joints like your hands and wrists.
What Happens When You Do Exercise with Arthritis
You’ll experience less pain.
While it’s true that activity can initially worsen arthritis pain, regular exercise will decrease your pain symptoms over time.
You’ll experience fewer mobility restrictions.
Just as regular exercise can decrease pain, it will also help improve your range of motion, meaning you can move more easily.
The progression of your arthritis may slow.
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the two most common forms of arthritis, will gradually progress over time and may eventually require you to undergo surgery. Exercising won’t cure arthritis, but it can slow the rate in which this degeneration can occur.
You may feel more empowered.
Living with a chronic condition is hard. Regular exercise can help you feel like you’re taking an active role in managing your condition and reducing your pain.
You’ll experience other physical and mental benefits.
Exercise offers many benefits beyond pain management. It can improve mood and quality of sleep, protect you from heart disease and diabetes, and help you stay active and independent well into old age.
Ready to Start Exercising? PhysioWorks Can Help!
While the benefits of regular exercise for arthritis are undeniable, getting started can be challenging. Which movements are safe for you to perform? Which will provide you with the most benefits? What should you do if even simple movement is too painful?
This is where our physical and occupational therapists shine! We’ll create a customized arthritis treatment plan that speaks to your needs and abilities. Here’s a taste of all that we can offer:
- Acute pain management using manual techniques and pain-relieving modalities
- Bracing and splinting techniques to protect the joints in your wrist and hand
- Personalized exercise programs with targeted, progressive exercises that build strength and improve mobility
- Specialized exercise programs to address balance, impaired fine motor skills, or other functional difficulties
- Guidance on general exercise programs to keep you moving outside our clinic
Don’t let arthritis keep you from living an active, healthy lifestyle. Call us today to find out more about our arthritis treatment programs!
Exercise of the Month
CALF RAISES
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands resting on a chair or countertop for support. Slowly rise up onto the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the ground. Hold briefly at the top, then lower back down with control.
3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: chair or countertop for balance)
Enjoy the juicy flavor of Greek-inspired turkey burgers blended with fresh spinach and Mediterranean spices. Healthy, hearty, and full of flavor, they’re a perfect twist on the classic burger night.
Enjoy This Healthy Recipe!
Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 thick rings red onion (about ¼-inch)
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 4 small hamburger buns, preferably whole-wheat
- 4 tbsp tzatziki
- 12 slices cucumber
Preheat grill to medium-high. Squeeze excess moisture from spinach. Combine the spinach with turkey, feta, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well. Form into four 4-inch patties. Oil the grill rack. Grill the patties until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 165°F.) Assemble the burgers on the buns, topping each with 1 tablespoon tzatziki, 3 cucumber slices and 2 onion rings.
November Word Scramble
nrbareycr
tfuisngf
ouoarncpic
iamylf
drapea
altkunhf
Answer Key
cranberry
stuffing
cornucopia
family
parade
thankful
4 Simple Strategies for Stress-Free Leaf Cleanup
For many of us, autumn is one of the most beautiful times of the year. There’s nothing like the cool refreshing air and breathtaking fall foliage. However, with the changing of the seasons comes a chore that we all dread– raking leaves.
Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to make raking the leaves more enjoyable. If you need help with your follow through on this chore, keep reading!
1. If you can, rake downhill
Raking leaves is hard enough without having to go against gravity. Make this process a little easier on yourself by raking downhill.
2. Pull the leaves towards you as you rake
This technique helps keep stress off your back and prevents injury. For extra preventative measures, tighten your abdominal muscles as you move.
3. Divide your lawn into sections
If you’re dealing with a huge lawn, don’t overdo it by trying to tackle all the space in one day. Instead, divide your lawn into smaller, more manageable sections and spread the work out over a couple days.
4. Wear the proper clothes
To prevent blisters or bug bites, it’s important to wear long sleeves and long pants while raking. It’s also a good idea to invest in a pair of strong gloves to protect your hands while you work.
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Staff Spotlight
Danny Beeman
CEO, MPT, CFCE, PGAP
Karl Lange
PT, CFCE, Clinic Director
Luda Moskvich
Lead PTA, COEE
Alicia Ables
PTA, CES
Iryna Hrytsyuk
COTA, Industrial Rehabilitation Supervisor, CI
Natalia Zhuk
COTA/L
Leah Salius
Administrative Supervisor
Michaela Caragiorgio
Billing Supervisor
Sherlyn Dagohoy
Patient Care Coordinator
Jeric Tumaob
Patient Care Coordinator
Michael Kovach
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Christin Hitchcock
Physical Therapist
Cara Thomas
Patient Care Coordinator