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Physical Therapy and Arthritis People with arthritis often have stiff joints - largely because they avoid movements that can increase pain. A physical therapist can teach you how to work out stiffness without further damaging your joint. Physical therapy also is useful after an injury, such as from a fall, and after joint surgery, especially for artificial joint replacement.
What Is the Goal of Physical Therapy?
The goal of physical therapy is to get a person back to the point where he or she can perform normal, everyday activities without difficulty.
Preserving good range of motion is key to maintain the ability to perform daily activities. Therefore, increasing the range of motion of a joint is the primary focus of physical therapy. Building muscle strength is extremely important, since stronger muscles can better stabilise a weakened joint.
Physical therapists provide exercises designed to preserve the strength and use of your joints, show you the best way to move from one position to another and can teach you how to use walking aids such as crutches, a walker or a cane, if necessary. Some Benefits Of Physical Therapy Programs
* Education about your type of arthritis, so that you can be well informed. * A dietary plan for overweight patients to reduce the stress of excess weight on supporting joints of the back, legs and feet. (As yet, no specific diet - other than a diet designed for weight loss - has proved helpful for arthritis.) * Foot-care advice, including choice of well-fitting shoes with shock-absorbing outer soles and sculptured (orthotic) insoles moulded to the contour of each foot.
* Therapeutic methods to relieve discomfort and improve performance through various physical techniques and activity modifications. What Techniques Will You Learn? * Rest. Bed rest helps reduce both joint inflammation and pain, and is especially useful when multiple joints are affected and fatigue is a major problem. Individual joint rest is most helpful when arthritis involves one or only a few joints. Custom splints and soft collars can be made to help with support. * Thermal modalities. Applying ice packs or heating pads, as well as deep heat provided by ultrasound and hot packs, can help relieve local pain. Heat also relaxes muscle spasm around inflamed joints. Heating joints and muscles with a warm bath or shower before exercising may help you exercise more easily. * Exercise. Your doctor and therapist will prescribe a program for effective excerise you that may vary as your needs change. * Benefits of massage. Regular massage therapy will be very helpful with your pain and discomfort. It also has a positive effect on your stress levels and will give you back a sense of wellbeing.
This article is for information purposes ONLY and should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Always consult with your medial adviser or G.P. on all medical matters. Should you require any further information, have any other question that you may want answered or would prefer a one to one FREE consultation then please contact: Kevin at The Physical Therapy Clinic. Telephone: 966 765 686 or mobile: 605 306 129 or email Kevin on:
physicaltherapyclinic@hotmail.com
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