Five Ways to Manage Arthritis Pain
— Without Surgery
Donna is one of the 53.2 million Americans living with arthritis. Until recently, she was also one of the many arthritis patients who weren’t physically active due to their symptoms. The persistent pain in her knee kept her from hobbies she’d always enjoyed, but now she loves to garden and explore local walking trails with her friends. And she didn’t even have to undergo surgery and can manage her arthritis pain!
What changed? The answer is simple: Donna visited the team at Elevate Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. We helped her understand her condition, including the fact that staying sedentary was making her symptoms worse. We also created a customized treatment plan to help her manage her pain, get active, and get back to the life she wanted to live.
Whether you’re living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or another inflammatory joint condition, we’ll work hard to find a solution that meets your needs. All you need to do to get started is call to schedule an appointment.
In the meantime, check out these five suggestions for managing arthritis pain from our physical therapists.
How to Manage Arthritis Symptoms (Without Drugs or Surgery)
- Stay Active: Getting enough exercise is one of the best things you can do to manage your arthritis symptoms. If you have osteoarthritis, this might be a surprise since OA pains often occur when you move the joint. Fortunately, our physical therapists can help you find low-impact exercises that won’t put extra pressure on your joints.
- But Don’t Forget to Rest: While physical activity is crucial in managing arthritis, you need to be careful not to overdo things. Striking a balance between more intense activities (like weightlifting) and periods of active recovery (like walking) will help keep your joints happy.
- Eat a Healthy Diet: Swapping out ultra-processed foods for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help control the inflammation that contributes to arthritis symptoms.
- Find a Pain Management Strategy: You don’t have to depend on pain medication to manage your symptoms. Self-massage techniques, hot and cold therapy, and gentle stretches can all help reduce pain levels. Our therapists can provide suggestions!
- Get Organized: To maximize your treatment from our physical therapists, keep careful track of your symptoms. When do you feel pain? Where do you feel pain? Do you have any mobility restrictions? How would you describe your pain level? This information will help us create the best possible treatment plan for your needs.
But Don’t Forget to Visit Elevate Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, Either!
As musculoskeletal experts, our team of physical therapists can give you the expert guidance you need to address your arthritis symptoms. We offer two main benefits: additional pain management techniques and customized, guided exercise programs.
How We Help Manage Pain
In addition to showing you self-management options, we offer several pain management approaches in our clinic.
Manual therapy techniques, such as joint mobilizations or soft tissue manipulation, help reduce pain, promote blood circulation, and improve mobility restrictions. We often kick off sessions with a round of manual therapy to help prepare your body for exercise.
Depending on your needs, we might also suggest other pain-relieving modalities, such as ultrasound therapy or electrical stimulation.
How We Help You Exercise Smarter
When managing arthritis pain, pretty much any low-impact exercise will do wonders. However, targeted exercise also plays an important role in addressing pain.
For example, mobility exercises will help improve your joint’s range of motion, making movement easier overall. Targeted strength training focuses on improving the strength of the muscles surrounding your impacted joint, which helps support and stabilize it, helping to minimize pain.
We can also help you get started with a general exercise program. If you’ve been inactive for a while, starting slowly is essential to avoiding injury. We can provide suggested exercises and durations based on your health history and activity level.
Finally, if your arthritis is in a weight-bearing joint (such as your hip or knee), it’s important that you improve your balance to minimize your fall risk — and we can help with that, too!
I Love to Run! Am I Doomed to Osteoarthritis?
For years, conventional wisdom has said that avid runners would go on to develop osteoarthritis in their knees. After all, OA is a degenerative condition that occurs when the cartilage in the knee breaks down–so surely the wear and tear of running would lead to osteoarthritis down the line.
As it turned out, this isn’t actually the case. In fact, running regularly may help protect you against developing OA! Studies show that physical activity, in general, can help protect against osteoarthritis, and the actual risk factor is staying sedentary.
Why is that? Studies suggest that moving your joints keeps the tissue strong and healthy, preventing both inflammation and tissue degeneration. It’s the same reason exercise is one of the best ways to manage osteoarthritis pain.
Make the Most of Your Morning Jog with Physical Therapy
Of course, runners can still develop knee pain, usually due to overuse injuries or faulty biomechanics. The Elevate Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine team can help you prevent those injuries so you can stay active. We can also set you up for success if you want to start running for the first time.
Our comprehensive assessments can pinpoint any muscular imbalances or issues with form, ensuring you can keep up your running habit (and possibly prevent osteoarthritis in the process). For beginners, we can provide advice to ease you into your runs so you don’t injure yourself.
Whether you want to start running or keep running, our team is here to help. Call to schedule an appointment today!
Call Us Today
No matter your specific needs, Elevate Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine is here to help you manage your arthritis symptoms. From personalized guidance to targeted exercise programs, we’ll find solutions that work for you. Call us to schedule your initial consultation.
Our Patients Get Great Results
”I have had PT with Bekah a few times over the last five years. More recently, I started having knee pain, especially when doing stairs. Bekah worked with me through dry needling, stretching, and exercises to build strength in my hips and knees. I no longer have pain doing stairs and feel much stronger. Bekah has also treated my husband and daughter for injuries they had. Elevate Physical Therapy is our family’s go to for treating issues and recovering from injuries. I highly recommend them!” – Stephanie
Recipe of the Month: Quick Banana Berry Breakfast To Go
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup pomegranate juice or water
- 1/2 cup·old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons dried currants
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 banana, sliced (see note)
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small microwave-proof bowl and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes.
- To make on the stove top, increase pomegranate juice (or water) to 2/3 cup and bring to a boil in a small saucepan, add oats, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add blueberries and stir until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
- For on the go, combine all ingredients in a resealable container and eat later, either hot or cold.
NOTE: To maximize flavonoid absorption from berries, substitute 1 cup of frozen cherries, mango or other fruit for the banana.
Sources
- https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/managing-pain/pain-relief-solutions/natural-relief-for-arthritis-pain,
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Arthritis,
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350574/,
- https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/6/357
- https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/national-statistics.html