physical therapy Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Washington Physical Therapy

Need More Physical Activity? Here’s How to Get It

Did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services? Millions of Americans are risking serious health consequences simply because they do too much sitting and not enough moving around. You may not find that information shocking, especially if you're one of those 80 percent. What really might surprise you, however, is just how easily you can give your daily activity level a dramatic boost. Here are seven simple tips from our physical therapist for adding some much-needed additional exercise to your life.

1. Walk Instead of Drive

Many people automatically get into their cars even for a brief trip to the mailbox or corner store. What if you spent an extra few minutes each day walking instead of driving? It might not sound like much of a workout, but walking increases the circulation, exercises your legs and feet, sheds excess pounds, keeps your joints limber and helps to release stress.

2. Get a Bicycle

If that trip to the corner store takes too much time on foot, maybe it's time you remembered how to ride a bicycle. Cycling exercises different muscles than walking, making it a valuable complement to that discipline when you need to go a little farther and a little faster. It also provides you with a significant cardio workout.

3. Take Up a New Sport

Getting that extra activity doesn't have to be a chore; it could just as easily take the form of new fun. Have you thought of taking up tennis, golf, surfing, swimming, running, or a team sport such as soccer or softball? These sports all offer different physical benefits, and they all get you up and moving.

4. Join a Yoga Class

Physical activity isn't always a matter of running or jumping around at a frenetic pace. Yoga offers profound benefits to body and mind by releasing stress, stretching muscles, increasing your range of motion, and helping you master your breathing. A yoga class offers structured learning as well as a positive social environment.

5. Stand at Your Desk

Standing desks have become all the rage in workplaces, and for good reason. Standing at your desk instead of sitting can help prevent unwanted weight gain, regulate blood sugar levels after meals, ease back pain, elevate your mood and energy level, reduce your heart disease risk and add years to your life expectancy. You may even find that you get more work done!

6. Turn "Couch Potato Time" Into a Workout

There's nothing wrong with spending some quality time watching your favorite TV shows or movies -- but you don't necessarily have to spend all those hours sprawled on your couch, motionless. Consider getting a stationary bike or treadmill that you can use while you're catching up on your stories. You'll have just as much fun, but you'll be working out instead of sacking out.

7. Exercise With Your Dog

Have you ever marveled at the sheer energy and endurance displayed by your dog? Dogs love to walk, run, play catch and explore. Join in these activities, and you'll find that your dog gives you one heck of a workout.

One Final Tip: Get Physical Therapy

Are there activities on this list that you'd love to try -- if only your body would let you? Physical therapy could get you back in shape to get into better shape. Ask our physical therapist for a one-to-one consultation!

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6 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help You Improve Your Physical Health

Physical therapy improves the physical health of people who have injuries, illnesses and medical conditions. An individualized physical therapy program is a conservative approach to managing these types of problems. It improves overall health and well-being.

Six Ways Physical Therapy Improves Health

Reduces or Eliminates Pain

Manual therapy treatments like soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, electric stimulation and targeted exercises help relieve pain and restore joint and muscle function. These types of methods also help prevent pain from coming back.

Lessens the Need for Surgery

When physical therapy works to heal and reduce pain, the need for surgery is greatly decreased. “For some conditions, including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, treatment by a PT has been found to be as effective as surgery.”

Improves Balance and Prevents Falls

With physical therapy, a physical therapist will screen your risk for falling. Exercises will be given to improve your balance in real-life situations. Assistive devices will be given to ensure safe walking. And if you have a problem with your vestibular system, a physical therapist will perform specific methods to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of vertigo and dizziness.

Improves Mobility

With both passive and active treatments, physical therapy improves mobility. Muscles are strengthened and flexibility is greatly improved. This way you can engage in activities and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Manages Age-Related Problems

With aging, the chances of developing osteoporosis or arthritis are increased. A physical therapist is a trained expert at helping patients recover and manage age-related health problems like osteoporosis and arthritis.

Manages Lung and Heart Disease

Physical therapy is a component of cardiac rehabilitation. To address pulmonary issues, a physical therapist will help improve your health and quality of life through breathing, strengthening and conditioning exercises. Physical therapy also helps clear fluid from the lungs.

Case Study of the Impact of Physical Therapy for Osteoporosis

Clinical studies support the benefits of physical therapy for health conditions like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the ten most common illnesses. "Patients were recruited from the osteoporosis outpatient clinics of Klinikum Südstadt hospital and the University hospital of Rostock to engage in physical therapy for osteoporosis. Over a period of 3 months, 44 patients with osteoporosis completed a twice-weekly 30-minute intensive exercise program. The conclusion was that physical therapy reduced pain and improved function, with the sling exercise patients benefiting most. The combination of functional improvement and pain mitigation resulted in improved health."This study is just one of the many proving the health benefits of physical therapy.

With physical therapy, you get an individualized treatment plan to address your challenges, needs and goals. A physical therapist will help you manage pain, improve chronic conditions, recover from an injury and prevent future chronic diseases. A physical therapist will also collaborate with other health professionals to ensure that you get the best of care. Patients are encouraged to be active participants in their treatment plan. All around, physical therapy is designed to improve your health and help you engage in your regular activities.

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So You’ve Been Having Back Pain… Could it be Caused by a Herniated Disc?

If you’ve been experiencing back pain, it just may be a herniated disc. A herniated disc can put extra pressure on the muscles and nerves around the spinal column. Symptoms may include, pain on one side of the body, pain that radiates to the arms or legs, aching, burning sensations in the affected area and pain with certain movements.

What is a Herniated Disc?

The spinal column is comprised of a series of bones. “The cervical spine has seven bones, the lumbar spine has five bones and the thoracic spine has 12.” Each disc has a gelatinous inner section and a tough outer ring. When the disc protrudes through the outer ring, it is known as a herniated disc. This can cause numbness, pain and discomfort.

There are a number of factors that can cause a herniated disc. Certain motions like turning or twisting can cause a herniated disc. Lifting heavy objects is another culprit. Being overweight can cause a herniated disc, too. This is because the discs have to support more weight. Older people are at risk for a herniated disc. As we age, the discs begin to lose some of their protective water content. This causes the disc to slip more easily out of place.

“Studies have indicated that genetic factors influence many, if not most of the diseases commonly encountered in clinical practice by physical therapists, such as herniated disc. Genetics has been shown to play a role in end-plate herniations at 40-49 years of age.”

The Benefits of Physical Therapy for a Herniated Disc

Physical therapy plays a critical role in recovering from a herniated disc. A physical therapist implements different techniques for pain relief and healing. Passive treatments like deep tissue massage, electric stimulation and hot and cold therapy are a few examples of passive treatments. Deep tissue massage uses pressure to relieve spasms and deep muscle tension due to a herniated disc. Hot therapy increases blood flow to the affected area and enhances healing. Cold therapy reduces inflammation. Electric nerve stimulation reduces muscle spasm by sending a tiny electric current to the nerve pathway.

Active treatments by a physical therapist address joint movement, stability, flexibility, strength and posture. A physical therapist will teach you core stabilizing exercises to strengthen the back muscles. You’ll also engage in body muscle exercises to strengthen and condition your body. In addition, a physical therapist will teach you flexibility techniques and proper stretching techniques.

If you have back pain, turn to physical therapy for help. A physical therapist will do a comprehensive exam and review your medical history to determine if you have a herniated disc. Once a proper diagnosis is made, a physical therapist will then create and implement a personalized treatment plan targeted to the affected area. The goal of physical therapy is to help you attain an active and pain-free life. It’s helped thousands of others and can help you, too. Get on the road to recovery from a herniated disc with Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.

Source:

https://www.apta.org/Genetics/

Stand Up to Your Back Pain with Physical Therapy Relief

Most Americans will suffer temporary back pain at some point in their lives. When back pain is not temporary, however, it becomes a major quality of life issue. The good news is that you don’t have to live with back pain permanently. Taking a proactive approach like working with a physical therapist can help you find back pain relief at long last. Contact Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation for more information on how physical therapy can relieve your back pain.

Types of Back Pain

There are three main types of back pain:

Acute Back Pain: Acute back pain is the most common type. This is a temporary pain that goes away in less than three months.
Recurrent Back Pain: This occurs when acute back pain goes away for a while, but then comes back periodically.
Chronic Back Pain: If back pain lasts longer than three months without subsiding, it is classified as chronic.

Back pain is usually not serious and will resolve on its own. Recurring pain and chronic pain, however, can be a sign of a more serious health problem. There is a broad range of potential physical conditions that could be causing your back pain, which include osteoporosis, degenerative disk disease, a herniated disk, fractures or lumbar spinal stenosis.

Diagnosing Back Pain with a Physical Therapist

Your journey with a physical therapist will start with a discussion of your symptoms. Your therapist will also review your medical history for any past injuries or illnesses that could be contributing to your current pain. Your physical therapist will also conduct an exam to assess how you are able to move and function as a result of your back pain.

The diagnosis phase will also involve some tests to find symptoms of more serious conditions. If your physical therapist suspects that there is a serious health condition contributing to your back pain, you will likely be referred to a specialist for more testing. In most cases, this will not be necessary.

Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Once your back pain has been diagnosed, a personalized course of physical therapy will be outlined for you. Treatments for back pain will vary based on the diagnosis, your age, weight, physical ability and other factors. Your course of treatment may include any of the following:

Stretching and strength-building exercises
Manual therapy and spinal manipulation to improve joint mobility and relieve tissue pain
Education on how to take better care of your back, such as proper methods of lifting, bending, sitting and sleeping positions
Hot or cold treatments, or electrical stimulation, for pain relief
Posture work to provide better support for your back

Physical Therapy Strategies for Back Pain

Over the course of your work with a physical therapist, your progress will be monitored to ensure that you are recovering. The goal is to eliminate the back pain so that you can live a normal life. A big part of working with a physical therapist is that you will learn strategies for movement and carrying out daily tasks in ways that will prevent the pain from recurring.

For example, your therapist will show you proper posture techniques while you are at home, at work or enjoying leisure activities. You will also learn how to keep up a regular exercise regimen to keep your supportive muscles strong, which will prevent the back pain from coming back. If your weight is contributing to your back pain, you will learn nutritional advice in addition to exercise to control your weight and keep back pain at bay.

The key is to be proactive in standing up to your back pain. If the pain lasts longer than three months, it probably won’t go away on its own. Request an appointment with Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation today!

The Drug-Free Path to Pain Relief: Physical Therapy

Pain is a serious problem in today’s world. An estimated 1 out of every 5 Americans suffers from some degree of chronic pain, and 8 percent of those sufferers find the pain so intense that they can’t pursue their normal activities. It’s little wonder, then, that painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs have grown into such a mammoth industry. Unfortunately, these drugs offer their own share of troubles, from addiction to dangerous effects on internal organs. Many people are now seeking effective pain relief that doesn’t come from a pill bottle. If you’re one of those people, you need to know about the amazing pain-busting potential of physical therapy.

The Problem With Painkillers

A variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications promise to ease pain and inflammation temporarily. Steroids do this by suppressing the immune system for people suffering from painful auto-immune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis). That same immune-suppressing power, however, also makes the body more vulnerable to infection. Long-term steroid use has also been associated with cataracts, glaucoma, hypertension, water retention, acne, high blood sugar and osteoporosis. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) block the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body. These drugs aren’t necessarily safe, either. NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding and kidney damage in some individuals. They have also been associated with elevated heart attack and stroke risks.

Perhaps the most ominous danger comes from opioid drugs. Opioids can deaden more than just pain. These powerful drugs caused over 70,000 fatal overdoses in 2017 alone. Some of these deaths may have been related to recreational drug use, but over 60 percent of the deceased were chronic pain sufferers.

Physical Therapy for All-Natural Pain Management

Physical therapy offers numerous advantages as a safe, effective, all-natural pain management tool. A physical therapist takes each individual’s symptoms (and those symptoms’ underlying causes) into account when devising a physical therapy plan for pain management. Your plan might include modalities such as:

Aerobic exercises to get the blood flowing and encourage joint lubrication
Resistance training exercises to strengthen muscles, making physical actions less of a strain
Cold laser therapy and/or massage therapy to boost circulation, relax tissues and reduce inflammation
Electrical nerve stimulation to interrupt pain signals
Chiropractic adjustment to help joints move more freely and correct painful musculoskeletal imbalances
A soothing combination of heat therapy and cryotherapy

Physical therapy appears to have one more major contribution to make toward freeing pain sufferers from their symptoms. Some physical therapists have adopted “brain-rewiring” techniques such as graded motor imagery to help patients develop a new perception of their pain — one that allows them to master and minimize their responses to it. This form of physical therapy seeks to give individuals more control over their pain so that they can tolerate more exercise, which then reduces the pain even more.

Physical therapy can do more than just help you feel better. By providing you with non-pharmaceutical pain control measures, this form of care can help you steer clear of the side effects of prescription and non-prescription drugs. Better yet, you’re going beyond the temporary numbing of your symptoms by actually treating the underlying causes of those symptoms. Why settle for the illusion of relief when you can have the real thing — and improve your health and functionality in the process?

Looking for Answers to Your Pain? Talk to Our Physical Therapist

Our physical therapist will be happy to create a pain management program just for you. Request an appointment with Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation today!

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A Tasty Way to Get Pain and Inflammation Under Control

Who says that getting healthy has to be a chore? You’ll be delighted to learn that simply by modifying your diet, you can get chronic pain and inflammation under better control (or possibly even avoid those symptoms entirely). Better yet, the diet you choose doesn’t have to taste like a punishment for previous bad behavior. Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation typically recommends dietary changes alongside exercises and other natural techniques as part of a holistic physical therapy program. Try replacing some of your old, regrettable menu items with this pain-reducing, anti-inflammatory diet.

Lean Protein Choices (Instead of Fatty Fried Meats)

It’s all too easy to settle for hamburgers, fried chicken, deli meats and other convenient protein sources — but they don’t seem so convenient once the pain and inflammation set in. You can easily correct this problem by switching to healthier proteins that include all the nutritional value without the inflammatory properties. Try gracing your table with fish (especially fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, which are high in anti-inflammatory omega-3s), tofu dishes and legumes.

Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables come in an eye-popping array of colors, from deep purple and brilliant green to neon orange and brilliant yellow. But these colors aren’t just for show; they’re a sign that you really need to be eating more of these foods. The amazing colors are provided by antioxidants, nutrients that posses powerful anti-inflammatory powers. Broccoli and cabbage are loaded with Vitamin K, a notable inflammation fighter. Make fruits and vegetables a cornerstone of your diet, and you’ll be well on your way to feeling better.

Gut-Friendly Yogurt and Fermented Foods

There’s a constant battle going on in your gut between “bad” bacteria (which promote inflammation, chronic pain and digestive discomfort) and “good” bacteria (which support digestive health by crowding out the “bad” bacteria). You can give the good guys an edge by adding plenty of probiotic foods to your diet. Options include low-fat yogurt and fermented products such as kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and pickles.

Health-Enhancing Spices

As delicious as these foods are, you’ll most likely want to add a little spice here and there. Fortunately, mother Nature has provided a whole catalog of herbs and spices that actually help to reduce pain and inflammation. If you enjoy Indian food, for instance, you’ll love the fact that turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful inflammation reducer. Garlic offers high levels of diallyl disulfide, another natural anti-inflammatory. Cayenne pepper is rich in a natural pain reliever called capsaicin. Don’t forget the oregano for a healthy dose of antioxidants.

Naturally Nice Desserts (Instead of Refined Sugar)

Refined sugar is notorious for feeding painful inflammatory disorders and symptoms. In fact, just one sugary soda per day has been shown to increase rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in women by 68 percent. The good news is that you can have a pretty sweet diet without the sugar. Try serving fresh or frozen fruit at the end of a meal for a refreshing change that won’t set off your pain sensors. If you must use a packaged sweetener, a natural option called stevia is probably the next-healthiest choice.

A Tasty Complement to Physical Therapy

As you start to feel the pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory benefits of your new dietary habits, you can get even more benefit from physical therapy and other pain management options. Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation can help you construct an entire lifestyle plan that incorporates diet, exercises, healthy ergonomics, and other strategies for helping you feel great. Contact Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation today!

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Improve Your Overall Health with These 5 Stretching Benefits

Some people think that stretching is an unnecessary part of exercising. The truth is that stretching is a necessary component of exercise. According to physical therapists, stretching is an important part of one’s daily routine, whether you’re exercising or not.

The 5 Benefits of Stretching

Stretching specific exercises prior to exercising helps the muscles to achieve maximum range of motion. It also helps strengthen the muscles. That is why during physical therapy stretching is a main focus.
Stretching helps reduce muscle tension. It’s a therapeutic treatment by a physical therapist. You’ll feel the rewards of stretching during your daily routine, walking or lifting.
Stretching enhances joint range of motion. It enables the body part to move easier. For more dynamic movement, stretching increases muscular coordination. Some physical therapy sessions focus on a muscle group instead of just one muscle for stretching.
Another benefit of stretching is increased blood circulation. Muscles require sufficient oxygen and nutrients in order to perform well. Stretching ramps up blood flow and transports oxygen and nutrients.
Lastly, a benefit of stretching is heightened energy levels. The increased circulation increases energy levels. Learning to stretch properly will lead you to a more active lifestyle. “According to results of a new systematic review, moderate-grade evidence seems to support strengthening and stretching exercises to help ease chronic neck pain.”

Types of Stretching Exercises in Physical Therapy

Stretching involves stretching connective tissue, a muscle or a tendon. The goal of stretching is to improve range of motion, flexibility and muscle elasticity. The five most common stretching exercises are:

Ballistic
Dynamic
Static
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
Low Load

Ballistic stretch physical therapy is a rapid bouncing motion to stretch a muscle. Dynamic stretching by a physical therapist entails stretching with motion at different speeds and distances. These movements are performed in a controlled and slow manner. Examples include torso swings, arms swings and leg swings. Static stretch physical therapy involved stretching the muscle and holding it for a few seconds. PNF entails holding and controlling techniques to activate specific receptors in muscles. This technique improves muscle length and decreases muscle tension. The low load stretching technique is gradual application of tension to enhance connective tissue remodeling.

A physical therapist will determine the best stretching exercises for your affected area and implement them into your treatment plan. They will also give you home exercises. These stretching exercises may include groin stretches, quadriceps stretches, knee stretches, calf stretches and more. They will also show you how do easy stretches with a towel at home. Knee stretches are very common in all age groups. That’s because knee injuries are common due to overuse or athletic injuries. Activities like running and biking can result in tight quadriceps muscles. Keep in mind that tight muscles can predispose you to injury. If so, quadriceps stretches will be implemented into a treatment plan.

Whether you see us at Washington Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation or not, stretching should be a part of your daily routine. You’ll feel better, perform better and avoid injury.

Source:

https://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2015/2/10/CochraneNeckPain/

Physical Therapy for Non-Pharmaceutical Arthritis Pain Management

Stiffness and discomfort don’t have to be a part of our daily lives — and yet many people assume that they’re doomed to suffer from arthritis pain. If you’ve been losing more and more of your mobility and productivity due to chronic joint inflammation, you may be disappointed by the usefullness of painkilling 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.

How and Why Arthritis Causes Pain and Stiffness

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 arthritis suffers, however, suffer from one of two agonizing conditions:

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.
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.

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.

Our Physical Therapist Can Develop Customized Pain Management Plans

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:

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.
Physiotherapy techniques – You may benefit from massage therapy, cold/heat therapy or laser therapy.
Corrective devices – Your physical therapist can recommend specialized insoles and train you in the use of devices such as walkers or canes.
Lifestyle guidance – Your physical therapist can recommend specific changes to your everyday ergonomics or lifestyle that will ease your pain.

Don’t just numb your arthritis pain — manage it the smart, safe, effective way. Contact our physical therapy clinic today!

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The Best Treatment Method for Solving All of Your Aches and Pains

Whether you have recently started waking up with generalized aches and pains, or suffering from chronic pain for a long time, physical therapy has been proven to be the best possible treatment method for you. A sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, poor nutrition or an injury can all contribute to aches and pains. The bad news is that the pain is probably not going to go away on its own. The good news is that a physical therapist can put you back on the right track and help get rid of those aches and pains.

Sources of Aches and Pains

If you suffer from generalized aches and pains when you wake up in the morning, here is what your physical therapist will tell you. Our bodies build up inflammation in the tissues throughout the day. This can be extremely subtle and you may not notice it, even by the end of the day. But when we lie down and go to sleep, the inflammation can thicken and settle into your muscles. This in turn immobilizes your joints and can lead to aches and pains when you wake up. That same process repeats, day after day.

Eventually, chronic pain can set in if you do not make any lifestyle changes to correct the problem. This is why it is a great idea to contact our office for a consultation, before the pain leads to more serious health problems.

Diagnosing Aches & Pains with a Physical Therapist

Your first visit with a physical therapist will involve a conversation about your symptoms and medical history, as well as some simple tests. Be prepared to answer questions about past injuries that may be contributing to your current aches and pains. Your diet, exercise routine and daily activities will also be discussed. This is to give your therapist an idea of the possible cause or causes of your aches and pains.

You will then be given a series of tests, based on your description of your symptoms. These will involve posture and range of motion exercises, and possibly some strength and resistance tests. When your therapist knows where you are experiencing aches and pains and has determined the likely causes, your personalized physical therapy treatment plan will be drawn up.

Physical Therapy for Aches and Pains

Physical therapy has a wide range of tactics and techniques that can be deployed to help with pain management. Here are just a few:

Tissue massage
Joint and bone manipulation
Movement therapy and exercise
Cold laser therapy to release endorphins
Microcurrent stimulation to release serotonin
Manual therapy

Within each of those categories, your physical therapist has a lot of tools and techniques at their disposal. For example, movement therapy and exercise might mean running on a treadmill, or working in a swimming pool. It all depends on your physical condition, the source of your aches and pains, and the treatment methods that are most likely to meet with results.

Tips for Ongoing Pain Relief

Your physical therapist will also work to educate you on ways to keep aches and pains at bay, by living a healthier lifestyle. This can range from advice on staying hydrated and enjoying better nutrition, to exercises and stretches you can do at home. The goal is to get you to the point where you are motivated to stay healthy without the need for regular physical therapy sessions. All of this will contribute to solving your aches and pains.

If aches and pains are starting to lower your quality of life, it’s time to take that first positive step by calling our office. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment with a trained and licensed physical therapist.

Find Help for Your Arthritis Pains Today

If you have arthritis pain, then you know all about the difficulties with moving and functioning in daily life that it can present. What you might not know, however, is that physical therapy can help you find relief from your arthritis pain. There is no cure for arthritis, but by using the exercises and techniques that your physical therapist can teach you, the onset of arthritis can be slowed and you will experience less pain overall. Those are some great reasons to schedule a physical therapy appointment today.

How Physical Therapy Can Help with Arthritis

Arthritis attacks the joints of the body, so the goal of physical therapy will be to restore the use of those joints and improve your ability to move around and engage in daily activities. This will be achieved through a combination of exercise to strengthen the support structures around the joints and teaching you how to move and engage in activities without worsening your symptoms. The exact course of treatment that your physical therapist will prescribe will depend on how advanced your arthritis is and which parts of the body are impacted.

The physical exercises your therapist will teach you will be directed toward improving your mobility, range of motion, flexibility and coordination. Additional treatments for your arthritis may include:

Posture: Your therapist will teach you various body mechanic techniques that will improve joint function and reduce pain. You will also be taught ways to use your strongest muscles and joints to relieve pressure on arthritic joints.
Education: Sometimes arthritis in the hip or knee will require the use of assistive mobility devices, such as a cane or walker. Your physical therapist will teach you the proper way to use these devices.
Treatments: Modern physical therapy has a broad range of treatment options available to assist with arthritis pain. Hot and cold therapy can relieve the pain and stiffness in joints; braces or splints can help to stabilize and support arthritic joints; shoe inserts can relieve arthritis pain in the lower extremities; and so on.
Environment Modifications: Your physical therapist can make specific recommendations for additional therapeutic aids based on your type of arthritis. These can include ergonomic furniture or cushioned mats in areas of your home or at work where you tend to stand on your feet for long periods of time.

Here’s What a Physical Therapy Session Looks Like

Physical therapy visits are often short in duration. Your therapist will be focused on spotting problems with your physical function that are related to the arthritis, and teaching you methods you can employ at home to relieve pain. The way to actually achieve pain relief from your arthritis is to keep up with the teachings for the long term. The improvement will be gradual, so it’s important that you follow your physical therapist’s instructions.

In order to help your physical therapist to provide you with the best advice possible, think carefully about different physical goals that you might have. For example, you might want to be able to do your daily job without straining your hips or knees, to reach things high up on a kitchen shelf, or to simply get in and out of your car without pain. Expressing these goals to your therapist will aid in ensuring that your treatments are as specific to your goals as possible.

Your physical therapy sessions probably won’t need to be done on a weekly basis. Once every few weeks to monitor your condition and progress should be sufficient. If you are ready for relief from arthritis pain, call our office to schedule your first appointment with a physical therapist.

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