Arthritis Is More Common Than You Think
Are your joints acting up again? It happens every year around this time, when the cold weather sets in and joints start to ache. What's even more frustrating is the number of medications many people take just to manage the pain, but physical therapy can help reduce that reliance on medication and help you manage arthritic pain more effectively, whether it's you or a family member living with the condition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 23% of all adults in the United States, more than 54 million people, have arthritis. It's a leading cause of work disability, with annual costs for medical care and lost earnings reaching $303.5 billion, and 60% of U.S. adults with arthritis are of working age (18 to 64). Women are more likely than men to experience joint pain, and roughly two-thirds of those who suffer from arthritic joint pain fall within the working-age range of 20 to 65.
Pain medications can reduce discomfort, but no pill cures the underlying problem. That's why understanding the range of ways to manage arthritis pain matters, and why physicians often recommend physical therapy as part of a patient's overall pain management plan.
Where Physical Therapy Fits In
Several types of therapy can help with arthritis, including occupational therapy, TENS therapy, diathermy, and massage, but physical therapy remains one of the most effective approaches. The goals of physical therapy for arthritis typically include improving mobility and restoring function in the affected joints, increasing the strength needed to support those joints, maintaining overall fitness, and preserving the ability to perform daily activities.
How Physical Therapy Relieves Arthritis Pain
One way physical therapy helps is by improving your range of motion. Restoring range of motion in the affected joint supports its overall function and eases discomfort during everyday movement.
Physical therapy also targets the source of joint pain. Arthritis is triggered by many factors, including environmental ones, and your therapist can help you identify those causes and make the adjustments needed to manage your level of discomfort.
It improves muscle strength, too. Muscle weakness adds stress to your joints, which is why physical therapists prescribe routine exercises designed to strengthen the muscles that support them.
What Your Physical Therapist Wants You to Know
Surgery isn't a cure-all. Joint replacement surgery is a necessity for many patients, but it won't solve mobility problems on its own, physical therapy remains your best treatment before and after surgery.
Don't forget why you're doing therapy. Physical therapy sessions can sometimes feel painful, frustrating, or even boring. Staying motivated and keeping your goal in mind, getting progressively stronger and able to move more, makes a real difference.
And don't overdo it. Some people with arthritis do too little activity, while others push too hard and add unnecessary stress to their joints. Exercise should help you, not require hours of recovery, so let your physical therapist guide and supervise your routine.