Did you know that physical therapy can help ease the discomfort and stiffness caused by arthritis?
Strive! physical therapists explain that arthritis is simply the inflammation and irritation of joints. Although we are more likely to suffer from arthritis as we get older, activity can also be a factor.
Building up strength and stability helps. We can build up the muscles around our joints so they don’t get irritated. We can definitely make it better.
Some of our most encouraging success stories with arthritis patients have been those who benefitted so much from physical therapy that they didn’t need more invasive treatments like surgery.
Strive! therapists tell the story of a patient whose doctor referred them for physical therapy for their shoulder. The patient was really afraid they would need a shoulder replacement and felt they were too young for such a drastic procedure. Within a couple weeks of starting therapy, the patient said they were “feeling 100 percent better.”
Our physical therapists found that instability and muscle weakness around the patient’s shoulder were allowing their condition to get worse and worse. Although not everyone has such dramatic improvement, therapists say even if you do end up needing another treatment or surgery, your recovery will be better and faster if you build up your strength beforehand with physical therapy.
Arthritis Tips From Strive! Physical Therapists
- Stretch out and move gently before you every get up in the morning.
- Stiffness is usually worse in the morning and gets better the more you move.
- Build up your strength with weight training or bodyweight exercises to stabilize joints.
- Stay active! If you don’t use it, you lose it!
