Diagnosed With Osteoarthritis? Why You Should Add Physical Therapy To Your Healthcare Routine
Posted on: 2 November 2020
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If you've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, now's the time to seek help from a physical therapist. Adding physical therapy to your osteoarthritis treatment plan can provide you with benefits that you might not have thought about. Osteoarthritis can affect virtually every part of your body; not just your joints. That's one of the reasons why physical therapy is so important when you have osteoarthritis. Here are just four of the ways that physical therapy can help you cope with the debilitating effects of osteoarthritis.
Improve Your Posture
When you have osteoarthritis, it's important to pay attention to your posture. You might not realize this, but poor posture can add to the pain and discomfort you experience when you have osteoarthritis. That's because poor posture causes you to put extra strain and pressure on your joints. This is especially true of your knees, hips, and spine. Improving your posture will help to alleviate the pressure you put on your joints, whether you're sitting or standing. If you have poor posture, it's important that you work with a physical therapist.
Increase Your Range of Motion
If you've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, you can expect to see some changes in your range of motion, especially in the affected joints. For instance, osteoarthritis can reduce the range of motion you have in your knees, hips, spine, and neck. Unfortunately, pain often accompanies a decrease in range of motion. That's because the joints scrape together as you move. That's where physical therapy comes into the picture. If you're suffering from osteoarthritis, you need to start on a physical therapy routine as soon as possible. Physical therapy can help you maintain your range of motion. If you've already noticed changes, physical therapy can help you to recover your range of motion.
Strengthen the Supporting Muscles
If you have osteoarthritis, it's important that you protect the supporting muscles. As the cartilage breaks down around the joints, you'll experience increased pain when you move. Strengthening your supportive muscles can help to reduce the pain you experience in your joints, which is where physical therapy comes into play. Your physical therapist can develop a treatment plan that will target the supporting muscles. This will increase muscle strength and provide additional support to your affected joints.
Provide Training With Assistive Devices
Finally, if your osteoarthritis has reached a point where you require the use of assistive devices, you need to work with a physical therapist. Improper use of your assistive devices can lead to increased strain on the affected joints. A physical therapist can help you learn how to use your assistive devices properly.
For more information, reach out to a local physical therapist.