Treating headaches. Reducing the pain of pulled muscles. Managing arthritis pain. Over-the-counter and prescription pain medications have many uses.
It’s estimated that more than 30 million Americans use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) daily to treat pain. However, arthritis medications and pain medicines can cause some nasty side effects. If you’re looking for a way to treat arthritis pain without medicine, consider meeting with a physical therapist to learn how you can kick the meds and still reduce your arthritis symptoms.
Why should you reduce your use of arthritis and pain medications?
Depending on the type of arthritis that a person has, doctors may prescribe NSAID pain relievers, corticosteroids, antirheumatic drugs or antibiotics. All of these carry a risk of side effects, and some can be extremely serious. In fact, one study reports that 7% of seniors who regularly take NSAIDs develop side effects that require hospitalization. Such statistics are excellent motivation for finding ways to treat arthritis pain without medicine.
A few of the side effects you may be able to avoid by treating arthritis with physical therapy include:
- Blood clots
- Strokes
- Dizziness
- Cataracts
- Nausea
- Constipation
- High blood sugar
- Osteoporosis
- Rebound headaches
What types of arthritis can physical therapy help treat?
Arthritis is a catchall term used to describe more than 100 different kinds of joint pain and joint disease. It’s also estimated to affect more than 54 million Americans. While arthritis is commonly believed to be a condition that afflicts the elderly, the reality is that it can strike people in early middle age. Some types of arthritis that are especially common include:
You can treat arthritis without medicine with help from Panther Physical Therapy
Ready to find a physical therapy team that can help you treat arthritis without medicine? Our physical therapists at Panther Physical Therapy are primed to help you. Some goals we can help you reach include improving range of motion, reducing pain and increasing strength to reduce stress on the joints. Here are some of the other ways our physical therapists can help you:
- Your physical therapist will work with you to control your weight through exercise and diet. Controlling your weight helps to prevent added stress on weight-bearing joints.
- Posture work can help to reduce stress on your joints.
- Light exercises and stretching can help to increase range of motion in the affected areas.
Our team also offers free screenings that can help you start your therapy process. Additionally, we can help you get therapy without leaving your home thanks to our virtual care and at-home therapy services. Even better, you can start using any of our therapy services without a doctor’s referral.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help or to schedule an initial appointment.
Tags: Arthritis, Electrical stimulation therapy, Manual therapy, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy