Physical Therapy: Treating Arthritis Without the Drugs
Treat Your Arthritis Pain the Natural Way with Physical Therapy!
Stiffness and discomfort do not have to be part of our daily lives and yet many people assume that they are doomed to suffer from arthritis pain.
If you have lost more of your mobility and productivity due to chronic joint inflammation, you may be disappointed by the use of analgesic drugs or even alarmed by the potential dangers of such drugs.
Fortunately, you have a safer, more effective path toward arthritis pain management: physical therapy.
Can you relate to this?
It is quite common for people who have arthritis pain to resort to expensive surgery, steroid injections, and prescription medications to cope with their pain.
Sometimes, patients with severe arthritis may actually benefit from these treatments. More often than not, physical therapy and natural treatments are the best routes to take.
Arthritis also does not discriminate; although it tends to be found often in elderly patients, it can affect anyone at any age.
According to a study on JAMA, “[rheumatoid] arthritis (RA) occurs in about 5 per 1000 people and can lead to severe joint damage and disability.”
Arthritis is also one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. If left untreated by a professional, patients with arthritis may experience extremely painful symptoms over a long period of time.
If you want to learn more about how physical therapy can benefit you and reduce your arthritis pain, please call our office today.
A personalized treatment plan, designed for your specific needs
If you want an arthritis pain management plan that improves your health without presenting you with the dangers of drugs, turn to physical therapy.
Our physical therapist can examine your joints to see how advanced your arthritis has become and how it may be affecting your stance, gait, or mobility.
You’ll then receive a customized pain management plan that may include:
- Lifestyle guidance – Your physical therapist can recommend specific changes to your everyday ergonomics or lifestyle that will ease your pain.
- Corrective devices – Your physical therapist can recommend specialized insoles and train you in the use of devices such as walkers or canes.
- Physical therapy techniques – You may benefit from massage therapy, cold/heat therapy or laser therapy.
- Exercise – Exercise can aid arthritis sufferers by boosting circulation, easing inflammation, strengthening joint tissues and increasing range of motion. It can help you improve your balance, if that’s become a problem for you.
Why am I living with arthritic aches and pains?
Arthritis includes an entire family of painful joint conditions. For some individuals, it may take the form of painful gout in a toe joint; in others, it can strike due to a bacterial joint infection.
The majority of those living with arthritis, however, are diagnosed with one of these two conditions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis – This form of arthritis is caused by an auto-immune disease or dysfunction. The same protective mechanisms that normally fight off disease germs decide to turn on your joints, treating them as the enemy and attacking them. This results in painful inflammation that may come and go, leaving joint swelling and deformity in its wake.
- Osteoarthritis – This most common form of arthritis is usually a natural consequence of a lifetime of joint motion, coupled with certain changes that take place during aging. Healthy joints contain not only a lubricating fluid to keep the bone ends moving smoothly, but also a layer of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and anti-friction component. Over time, however, the production of lubricating fluid can start to dry up, while the cartilage becomes thinner and more worn until it finally breaks down completely. This leaves you with pain, stiffness, and inflammation that usually feels worse whenever you try to move or put weight on the joint.
Many arthritis sufferers naturally turn to medication in the hopes that it will ease their symptoms. NSAIDs, steroids, and (and in the most severe cases) opioid drugs may produce such relief, but only temporarily.
These drugs can’t address the physical problems that actually cause your symptoms; they can only mute the symptoms themselves. What’s more, painkilling and anti-inflammatory drugs can pose significant risks if they’re used constantly.
NSAIDs can damage the internal organs, while steroids may contribute to everything from cataracts to osteoporosis. Opioids can be extremely dangerous, not only because of their addictive properties but also because overdoses can (and often do) prove fatal.
Get started on the path toward natural pain relief today!
Don’t just numb your arthritis pain-handle it in a smart, safe, effective way. Please contact ProTailored Physical Therapy to set up an appointment!