Are you tired of taking medication in the form of drugs to get rid of Arthritis? Or, are you a massive believer in physical therapy and think that it is incredibly effective?
Are you experiencing pain in your joints and want to know if its Arthritis or just the routine pains which go away after a couple of days?
Well, then physiotherapy might just be a win-win situation for you!
Do you think you are misguided on Arthritis as a whole? Are you aware of the different kinds of Arthritis?
Do you think you are not well informed on the concept of physiotherapy? Do you think that this form of treatment is over-hyped and not very useful?
So, today, this article will answer all your questions regarding the treatment of Arthritis through physiotherapy and much more!
WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?
It is the swelling and soreness of one or multiple joints. Arthritis can be caused by increasing age, family history, or previous injuries to the joints.
Due to this, Arthritis is also known as ‘joint inflammation.’
IS ARTHRITIS A NEW DISEASE?
Joint Inflammation or Arthritis has been traced back to almost 4500 BC. It is considered to have been a prevalent disease back in the day as well!
WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED TO ARTHRITIS?
Depending on the intensity of the complication, you may observe the following symptoms:
- Stiffness and swelling in the Joints
- Pain
- Difficulty in Movement
CAN ARTHRITIS RESULT IN LIFE LONG DISABILITY?
This is question is asked repeatedly by people who are unable to cope up with Arthritis.
The answer is yes. In the United States, Arthritis is leading the disability charts!
Muscle and joint stiffness result in a significant decrease in mobility; this can also affect an active person’s mental health as that person might not be used to getting homebound. So, depression can also be generated from Arthritis.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTHRITIS?
There are primarily two types of Arthritis:
1. Osteoarthritis
This kind of Arthritis causes the breakage of the cartilage of the joints. Cartilage is a hard tissue that covers the ends of the bones where the joints are created.
This type is usually age-oriented, and another primary cause is previous injuries in the joints and being over-weight.
Furthermore, other factors resulting in this type of Arthritis are diabetes and, other inflammatory problems such as Lyme disease etc.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
This is an auto-immune disease in the body, which means that the body’s immune system starts to attack the tissues.
However, this kind of Arthritis is just not limited to the joints; but it may also damage other body parts like the lungs, skin, and heart.
This kind of Arthritis is believed to be generated from multiple factors.
First of all, if this disease is in your genes, then there is a very good chance that you may also experience it. Genetics can increase your chance of getting this type of Arthritis by almost 50%!
Moreover, environmental factors are also a key concern regarding Rheumatoid Arthritis. Smoking is an example of the environmental factors that might trigger this issue.
IS THERE A WAY TO TREAT ARTHRITIS?
Like every other disease in the world, there are many medicines used all over the world for this condition. However, this article solely focuses on drug-free treatments.
Hence, the option of Physiotherapy is one way to proceed in this matter!
WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY?
If you are unaware of this term, Physiotherapy or physical therapy is a treatment method that emphasizes exercise, joint mobilization, and movement.
Basically, physiotherapy addresses the illnesses that cause difficulty in the movement of a human being in daily life.
It is performed by a physiotherapist, who is a trained professional in this field.
This article provides information on how physiotherapy has become an excellent way to treat Arthritis.
Physiotherapy has proved to be an effective method of treatment. Other than Arthritis, it has shown its effects in other conditions like back pain, neck pain, etc.
IS PHYSIOTHERAPY A SAFE WAY TO TREAT ARTHRITIS?
It is an entirely safe process, and it is also free from all kinds of side effects that can be found in medicines.
HOW DOES PHYSIOTHERAPY HELP ARTHRITIS?
Before getting into the benefits of physiotherapy for Arthritis patients, we need to understand that all therapies are designed based on the severity of the patient’s condition and body.
Physiotherapy holds the following benefits as far as Arthritis is concerned:
1. Understanding Your Condition
This is a key advantage of getting physiotherapy. Your therapist educates you about the effect of Arthritis on your body and how it limits your movement.
This can also result in the patient’s mental strengthening, who can now be well aware of what is happening with his/her body.
2. Pain Relief
After all, this is the fundamental reason you will go ahead with the physiotherapy.
The therapist can prescribe different, easy exercises for you to carry out to provide relief and allow you to move freely during daily activities.
3. Proper Pace of Therapy
It is always essential to not burden up your joints and muscles. Through physiotherapy, you will find the correct routine for your exercises. In this way, you can avoid stressing your body and be safe from further trouble.
4. Fitness and Muscle Strength
As it is a kind of exercise, physiotherapy can help you achieve a better body structure and help in the proper growth of your muscles, which is also very important in daily activities and sports.
HOW IS PHYSIOTHERAPY PERFORMED?
We’ve discussed the numerous benefits of this physical therapy for someone who has Arthritis.
Now, it is also essential to know about its different techniques. There are several different ways physiotherapy can be performed:
- MASSAGE: this is a great way to improve blood circulation inside the body. It also eases the muscles and joints of the body.
- HEATED THERAPY: like a massage, blood circulation improves, which benefits the joints and the muscles.
- COLD THERAPY: cold therapy, as the name suggests, does the opposite of the heated therapy. It reduces blood circulation in the body. This decreased circulation results in a decrease in swelling of the joints and muscles.
- HYDROTHERAPY: this kind uses water to overcome Arthritis. Exercise is performed underwater at a temperature of almost 35 degrees Celsius.
- ACUPUNCTURE: through this process, the brain releases natural pain relievers (endorphins). However, this practice is not performed by everyone, and one should seek professional help in this regard.
For more details, please read this post: Acupuncture and Dry Needling: The Best Guide To Help You Decide
- ELECTROTHERAPY: in order to reduce pain, techniques like ultra-sound and low-level laser are used for physiotherapy.
- STRETCHING: your muscle strength will be analyzed, and your therapist will stretch your joints and muscles to strengthen them.
The techniques mentioned above are used as the physiotherapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis as well as Osteoarthritis.
If you are looking for an alternate treatment, you may consult a professional for replacing your joints as well!
CONCLUSION
Arthritis can prove to be a very painful and long-lasting disease. It can spread all over your body and causes an incredible amount of hindrance in day to day activities.
Hence, if you are looking to solve this problem without taking any drugs (in the form of medicines), you must proceed with our best physiotherapy session as it is the best way to treat Arthritis, and you may end up enjoying it as well! Read more about revibe’s physiotherapy treatment here.
