Wear-and-tear arthritis can be a burden on your daily life, but physical therapy can help. The evidence is clear. If you have osteoarthritis and are looking a conservative care, look no more. For osteoarthritis treatment in Visalia, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy is an outstanding choice. Here’s why.
Many natural changes occur to our bodies as we age, and in most cases, there is not much we can do to stop this process. Unfortunately, some of these changes make getting around in our everyday lives more of a challenge than we’re used to, and a condition called osteoarthritis (OA) is one prime example that can result from these changes.
OA, also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, is a progressive disease that can affect any joint in the body. Joints are the area where two bones come together, and the end of each joint is surrounded by a protective layer called articular cartilage, which cushions your bones and protects them from rubbing against one another.
Arthritic Wear & Tear of Your Cartilage is Part of the Aging Process – But There is Hope
During the natural aging process, this shock-absorbing cartilage gradually begins to break down over the course of time. With less protection, bones come closer and closer together, until eventually they are so close that the joint starts to swell and symptoms begin to develop. Although OA can occur in any joint in the body, it is by far most common in the knees and hips, since both of these joints bear a great deal of our body weight. Other factors that are involved in the development of OA are being overweight or obese, bone structure, genetics, strength and physical activity level.
OA affects every part of the joint, including the bone, cartilage, ligament and muscle. Symptoms vary from patient to patient, but usually consist of the following: pain, stiffness, tenderness and/or swelling, a popping, cracking or crunching feeling, and difficulty getting out of bed, standing up or performing many daily activities
Osteoarthritis is Common in Older Individuals and Here’s How to Overcome It
OA of the hip and knee is quite common in older individuals, but that doesn’t mean you should just live through the pain and allow your life to be affected. Instead, pursue a course of physical therapy that will target your arthritic joint and teach you how to make changes in your life that will help you overcome your OA. A typical physical therapy treatment program will include:
- Stretching exercises
- Strengthening exercises
- Manual, or hands-on therapy
- Pain-relieving modalities like ice, heat and ultrasound
- Activity recommendations and modifications
To illustrate just how effective physical therapy can be for OA, consider the results from this recent study, which evaluated the use of resistance exercise, an intervention commonly used by physical therapists:
Data from 17 randomized clinical trials including 1705 patients were integrated. The main source of methodological bias in the selected studies was lack of double blinding. The meta-analysis results suggested that resistance exercise training relieved pain (standard mean difference, alleviated stiffness, and improved physical function .
This study restates the same conclusion of many others about of the benefits you can expect when you see a physical therapist for any type of OA. So if your joints are ailing you and it may be OA, contact one of our physical therapists here in Visalia for an appointment as soon as possible.
