Physiotherapy in Osteoarthritis

Role of Physiotherapy in Arthritis

The word 'Arthritis' literally means joint disease. The warning signs having arthritis are pain, buildup, joint stiffness, difficulty in moving a minumum of one joints. Arthritis can be a life changing event which can affect your own personal, social and work life unless it is certainly well understood and treated without delay.

There are 127 other form of arthritis. The most common types are Joint disease. Osteoarthritis is Degenerative Joint Disease. It is usually due to chronic wear out or due to trauma.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which ones own immune system attacks cells very well as joint capsule and encircling chronic inflammation destroys normal cartilage, bone and ligaments, producing deformity and disability. Physiotherapy contributes to major role in treatment of both Osteo & Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis along with medicine or on it's own.

Even though many other factors contribute the development of Osteo arthritis, the main reason may be deviation of normal body mechanics. By correcting the biceps mechanics the percentage of wear can considerably reduced. Being obese, muscle wasting, poor muscle strength, prolonged standing and inside derangement of knee like ligament injury are also able to contribute to Osteo arthritis. Physiotherapist can assess these basic causes helping to correct the pre disposing factors. If it are listed and corrected early, Osteo arthritis can be controlled to an absolute extend. Some patients could need medicine along with Therapy.

Major symptoms seen with Osteoarthritis are pain, restricted range of motion, swelling etc. Pain and swelling can be relieved by making use of hot packs or lukewarm packs, Ultrasound therapy, laser beam therapy, use of HUNDREDS or interferential therapy, strapping techniques etc. Range of motion and strengthening exercises are quite given to achieve maximum functional independence both at home and at work place.

Type of Exercise employed for Arthritic patients

1. Range of motion exercises: It helps to keep up with normal joint movements as well as relieving stiffness. These are gentle things which move each joint as much as possible in all directions. Normal daily house learn or office work may not help to improve joint range of tv shows and are not an alternative to ROM exercise.

2. Increasing Exercises: It helps to take or increase the fibers strength, provide stability, support and protection in your joint, helps the joint to change position more easily with less pain helping to prevent deformity. Isometric, isotonic or isokinetic exercises are utilized according to the condition that is patient. Isometric exercises involves tightening of muscle without pain movement which maintains muscle tone, prevents muscle wasting whether or not joint range is differently abled.

3. Endurance exercises: This can help to maintain cardiac physical fitness, ROM, to increase as well as fitness strength, to control weight and to improve useful symptoms. Aerobic exercises like graded walking, use of bicycle or treadmill initially using the supervision of the physiotherapist will help prevent complication.

How often people with arthritis should any kind of?

ROM exercises can be made daily many times which are done at least every second day. Strengthening exercises should finished every day unless you have severe swelling or pain in your joint and she has repeated daily.

Endurance exercises should be done 20 to 30 minutes a smaller amount 3 times a week it signifies . have severe swelling or pain in your joint. Before starting endurance exercises it is best to have a medical consultation to assess your medical fitness.

In matter of rheumatoid arthritis prolonged meds is required. Here Physiotherapy enables you to maintain ROM, muscle strength also to prevent joint deformity. Once joint deformity is created the patient may have severe ambulation problem. This is often prevented with medication are usually timely physiotherapy.

'Think positive about arthritis, Physiotherapist can to guide you to lead a pain-free independantly employed life'.

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