Category: Arthritis

Three benefits walking can offer knee arthritis sufferers
If you have arthritis in the knee, you may have been told that walking isn’t something you should do. However, recent research shows that this may not be true. A 2009 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one such piece of research, and this study concluded that walking was beneficial for knee arthritis patients. If you’re considering walking with your knee arthritis, there are three benefits of it that may help get you up off the couch.

1. Increases flexibility

Walking is an exercise that can help increase joint flexibility, and this can be helpful for patients with arthritis in the knee. Many arthritis patients tend to try to hold their knee as still as possible, but this can actually decrease joint flexibility and increase your pain. Walking is a great way to counter low flexibility because it moves the knee joint through its entire range of motion.

2. Improves supporting muscle strength

Joints are supported and moved with muscles, and the knee joint is no exception. When people with arthritis in the knee don’t move their knee a lot, the muscles supporting the joint can become weak. This weakness can increase the stress movement places on your knee joint, which may lead to greater pain.

When you walk around, you’re directly fighting back against muscle weakness. It’s important not to overdo it when you first start out, but the more you walk, the more the strength of your knee-supporting muscles will increase. This can translate into better support for your knee and a decrease in the pain you feel.

3. Helps with weight control

Your weight has a direct influence on how much stress is placed on your knees. If you aren’t moving around because of arthritis in the knee, it can be harder to keep your weight from going up. However, strenuous exercises like running aren’t the only way to slim down. Walking every day can also be a good way to control your weight. In fact, it can help you decrease your weight and reduce the daily stress placed on your knee.

Come to Excel Sports & Physical Therapy for help with arthritis in the knee

At Excel Sports & Physical Therapy, you’ll find a highly experienced physical therapy team that’s ready to help treat your knee arthritis. We’ll start by performing a screening to determine how your arthritis is affecting your knee. We’ll then use this information to create a therapy plan that’s personalized to you, and this plan may include therapy techniques like:
Start getting the help you need for your arthritis pain today. Contact our team for more information or to schedule an appointment.
August 3, 2019
Why you should see a physical therapist to treat arthritis pain in Warrenton, MO
Arthritis is a long-lasting condition that causes pain in the joints and limits their range of motion. Life with arthritis can be hard, but there are treatments that help make it better.

Treatments for arthritis look different for everyone depending on the type of arthritis and its severity. One treatment that is beneficial for many people with arthritis is physical therapy.

How can physical therapy treat arthritis pain?
- Physical therapy helps reduce and prevent pain — Physical therapists have several methods for preventing and reducing pain. Primarily, they guide you through therapeutic exercises and stretches. These help improve your strength and flexibility to reduce pressure off the arthritic joints, which can reduce pain.
  They may also use techniques like manual therapy and dry needling to reduce and prevent pain.
- Physical therapy can improve your range of motion — Since arthritis damages the cartilage, it can be difficult for you to move your joints. Physical therapists can help you improve the flexibility of your muscles and soft tissue to improve your range of motion in the affected joints.
- Physical therapy can reduce your need for medication — Treating pain with medication can impact your quality of life with undesirable side effects. Physical therapists can treat your arthritis pain so that you may not need to rely as much on medication.
- Physical therapy can reduce the need for surgery — Arthritis can advance to the point of damaging your cartilage so badly that you need surgery. The problem with surgery is that it’s risky and has long and painful recovery times. Physical therapists can help improve your condition so that you may not need surgery to treat your arthritis pain.
Visit Excel Sports and Physical Therapy in Warrenton, MO, for arthritis treatment

At Excel Sports and Physical Therapy in Warrenton, Missouri, we specialize in a variety of treatments for arthritis pain. Don’t let arthritis pain control your life. Let our team help you improve your condition and gain more use out of your joints. Contact our team today for more information about arthritis treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.
July 13, 2019
What to expect from physical therapy for arthritis in Ada, MI
Arthritis causes pain in the joints that makes it difficult for you to move. This makes many daily tasks more challenging, including walking or getting dressed. Unfortunately, arthritis has no cure, but there are treatments that can help. One treatment that many people with arthritis choose is physical therapy.

Physical therapists specialize in methods for treating arthritis pain and improving your range of motion without using drugs or invasive surgical procedures. At Advent Physical Therapy in Ada, Michigan, our treatments for arthritis vary depending on the individual needs of each patient.

Physical therapy treatments for arthritis

If you visit us for help with your arthritis pain, we will examine your condition to make sure you get the personalized treatment you need, which may include:
- Stretches and exercises — Stiff and weak muscles often increase the pressure on your joints that can make your arthritis pain worse. Improving the strength and flexibility of these muscles provides better support for the joints, which helps reduce pain and improve your range of motion.
- Joint mobilization — Physical therapists can use joint mobilization techniques to manipulate the joints into different positions to release pressure and improve your flexibility. This can help reduce pain and improve your ability to move your joints.
- Posture education — Standing, sitting and sleeping with poor posture can contribute to an increase in arthritis pain. Physical therapists can identify areas in which your posture can be improved and can help you make corrections. This may result in less pressure on your joints, which helps reduce your pain.
- Balance assistance — Sometimes, arthritis can make it difficult for you to balance or to stand on your own. In these cases, you may need to use assistive devices like a walker or a cane. Using these devices can be challenging if you’ve never done it before, but physical therapists can help you learn how to use them safely.
Visit Advent Physical Therapy in Ada, MI, for arthritis treatment

If you suffer from arthritis pain, there’s more than just medication and surgery for treatment. At Advent Physical Therapy in Ada, we can help you reduce your arthritis pain to decrease your dependency on medicine and so that surgery might not be necessary. Contact our team today for more information about arthritis treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.
July 7, 2019
The benefits of treating arthritis with physical therapy in Grand Rapids, MI
More than 100 forms of arthritis can damage the cartilage in the joints of your body. When this happens, the bones in your joints rub against one another, which causes pain and a limited range of motion.

Treatments for arthritis pain range from medication all the way to surgery in extreme cases. However, many people with arthritis can benefit from physical therapy treatment instead.

Benefits of treating arthritis with physical therapy

Treating arthritis with physical therapy is beneficial in many ways, including:
- Decreased dependency on drugs — Medications can be addictive and cause undesirable side-effects that impact your quality of life. Physical therapists can treat arthritis pain and reduce your need for drugs.
- Lower chance you’ll need surgery — When arthritis pain is severe, surgical intervention may be necessary. However, surgery is invasive, risky and requires a long time for recovery. Physical therapists can treat your arthritis so that surgery may not be necessary.
- Increased range of motion — Physical therapists use therapeutic stretches and exercises and other techniques in many arthritis treatments. These help improve your flexibility and range of motion.
- Better joint support — Stretching and exercising the muscles around your joints provides better structural support for the joint. This helps reduce pressure on the joint that can make arthritis pain worse.
- Improved posture — Arthritis pain can make it difficult to maintain proper posture. Poor posture leads to an increase in arthritis pain and other issues. Physical therapists can examine your posture and identify areas that could use improvement for reducing arthritis pain.
- Increased safety — Arthritis can increase your risk of falling while moving around, which may cause traumatic injuries. Physical therapists can show you how to safely move around and how to use assistive devices correctly, such as canes and walkers.
Visit Advent Physical Therapy in Grand Rapids for arthritis treatment

At Advent Physical Therapy in Grand Rapids, Michigan, our team is experienced in treating arthritis and other chronic painful conditions. If you have chronic joint pain and would like professional assistance in reducing and preventing it, our team is ready to help. Contact our team today for more information about arthritis treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 23, 2019
One physical therapy for arthritis you’ll find in Gretna, LA
There are likely many patients in the Gretna, Louisiana, area who are suffering from arthritis. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 25% of adults in Louisiana have some form of arthritis. With practically a one-in-four chance of having this condition, it’s in your best interest to know more about arthritis and how a physical therapist can help you treat it.

How does arthritis affect the joints?

There are two types of arthritis that commonly affect the joints. One of these is osteoarthritis, and this type is typically the result of natural aging. For instance, the movements you make every day can cause cartilage in your joints to wear out over time. In turn, issues like this may lead to joint inflammation, pain and difficulty moving the joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the second type of arthritis that may be affecting your joints. This issue happens when your body mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, it commonly affects every joint in the body at the same time. However, it does typically lead to inflammation, pain and lower range of motion, but rheumatoid arthritis patients may also have fevers and loss of appetite.

Aquatic therapy is one therapy method used in arthritis treatment

Aquatic therapy is one name used for a therapy method that has patients perform exercises in a pool. This technique may also be called water therapy or aquatic rehab. The factor that makes aquatic rehab so effective is it makes use of several natural characteristics of water.

For example, water has the ability to make objects float, which is called buoyancy. Buoyancy is also helpful because it reduces the effects of gravity on your joints, and this can make it easier for you to perform movements recommended by a physical therapist. Also, water exerts an inward force on the body called compression. This natural compression helps stabilize your arthritic joints and increases blood flow.

Find physical therapy for your arthritis at Rehab Access in Gretna

Rehab Access is proud to have a physical therapy clinic right here in Gretna, and our team can help treat many injuries and medical conditions. This includes various types of arthritis. Our physical therapy plans for arthritis are personalized to fit each patient, and they may include many therapy methods, such as aquatic therapy. However, the best thing about our arthritis treatment plans is the benefit they’re designed to provide, which may include:
- Reduced joint pain
- Decreased inflammation
- Improved range of motion
- Increased ability to do normal daily tasks
Are you ready to take the next step to find relief from your arthritis symptoms? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 17, 2019
Is physical therapy useful for my arthritis?
Are you currently evaluating if physical therapy will be a beneficial treatment method for your arthritis? At SOL Physical Therapy + Performance, we are here to help you make an educated decision, so you have the best chance at recapturing your life from the chronic pain and discomfort associated with this condition.

Arthritis is a joint disorder that causes pain, inflammation, stiffness and a loss of mobility. With over 100 types of arthritis, the treatment method best suited for your needs depends on your specific condition. Therefore, it is crucial to consult a doctor if you are experiencing arthritis symptoms to properly diagnose your condition, prevent it from worsening and determine the next steps for relief.

By 2040, it is expected that 35 million adults will experience physical limitations because of arthritis. For this reason, physical therapists are often recommended by doctors to determine lifestyle modifications, adaptive equipment and exercises that can help. If you are one of the millions of Americans diagnosed with this condition, read on to learn about the different types of physical therapy for arthritis that can help you get back to your daily routine.

Types of physical therapy treatments for arthritis

Although there is no cure for arthritis, physical therapy is a safe and effective method to manage the symptoms of this condition, so you can get back to the activities you love. This is done through a combination of physical therapy techniques designed to protect your joints as well as maintain your flexibility, balance and muscle strength. For instance, the following methods may be able to help you find the lasting relief you have been searching for:
- Manual therapy
- Weight management
- Range of motion exercises
- Shoe inserts
- Proper body mechanics
- Strengthening exercises
- Acupuncture
- Ergonomic changes
- Low-impact exercises
Visit SOL Physical Therapy for arthritis relief today

If you’re ready to take the first step on your path to wellness, reach out to SOL Physical Therapy + Performance. With over 20 years of service, our physical therapists are committed to a legacy of excellence that ensures you receive the most comprehensive and effective rehabilitation services available for your condition.

Contact our team today for more information on the physical therapy services we offer for arthritis and to schedule your initial appointment. We look forward to helping you on your recovery journey.
June 7, 2019
How do physical therapists treat arthritis in Saint Peters, MO?
Every year, millions of people are diagnosed with arthritis. This condition damages the cartilage in your joints, making it painful to move them.

Arthritis has no cure, but there are treatments that can help reduce the pain and improve your range of motion for a better quality of life. One effective treatment that helps many people with arthritis is physical therapy.

Treating arthritis with physical therapy

Physical therapists have several methods they can use to treat arthritis. If you visit a physical therapist for arthritis treatment, your treatment will likely include:
- Therapeutic exercise — Physical therapists specialize in guiding people with arthritis through gentle exercises to build the strength of the muscles around the arthritic joints. Stronger muscles provide better structural support for the joints, which reduces joint pressure that makes your pain worse.
- Stretching — Physical therapists can guide you through stretches that help improve the flexibility of your muscles for a better range of motion.
- Manual therapy — Manual therapy methods like joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilization can help reduce your pain and improve your range of motion. These techniques involve the use of your physical therapist’s hands to manipulate your joints and tissue in ways you wouldn’t be able to do on your own.
- Electrical stimulation — Physical therapists can connect electrodes to the skin around the arthritic joint to stimulate the muscles and soft tissue around it. Small bursts of electricity are delivered through the electrodes to force the muscles and tissue to contract and release. This helps reduce tension and can soothe pain.
Visit Excel Sports & Physical Therapy in Saint Peters, MO, for arthritis treatment

Our physical therapists at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy in Saint Peters, Missouri, specialize in these techniques and many more for treating arthritis. Contact our team today for more information about treating arthritis with physical therapy or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 6, 2019
What can a physical therapist do for arthritis?
When you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition like arthritis, you may feel resigned to a life of living with pain and lots of medications. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. People with arthritis can reduce their pain, improve their range of motion and have a better quality of life with physical therapy treatment.

Why you need physical therapy for arthritis treatment

Physical therapists are licensed health care professionals who specialize in treating musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis. Physical therapy treatments do not involve the use of medications, which is beneficial because medications cause many undesirable side effects.

Physical therapy treatments for arthritis vary depending on the type of arthritis you have and how severely it’s affecting you. Your physical therapist can examine your symptoms and review your medical history to develop a personalized treatment routine to help you feel better.

How do physical therapists treat arthritis?

Depending on the cause and severity of your arthritis, your physical therapy treatment may include:
- Therapeutic exercise — Gentle exercises and stretches help strengthen the muscles and soft tissue around the joints. This provides better structural support for the bones and joints, which reduces pressure off the areas affected by arthritis.
- Manual therapy — Physical therapists use manual therapy techniques for mobilizing and manipulating the joints into positions that help reduce pain and improve range of motion. This may also include deep tissue massage for reducing tension in the muscles to improve structural support and promote relaxation.
- Electrical stimulation — Your physical therapist may connect you to a small machine that delivers tiny bursts of electricity to the muscles around your joints. This forces the muscles to contract and release, which helps reduce tension and pain around the joints.
Visit Advent Physical Therapy for arthritis treatment

Our physical therapists at Advent Physical Therapy specialize in a variety of treatments for arthritis and many other conditions. If you have pain and difficulty moving your joints, our team can develop a treatment for you. Contact our team today for more information about arthritis treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 5, 2019
Why is physical therapy helpful for arthritis?
Arthritis is a debilitating condition that can impact your daily routine if you don’t stop it in its tracks. However, through conservative methods like physical therapy for arthritis, you can learn to manage living with this condition and even thrive. This is due to the fact that physical therapy helps reduce joint pain and stiffness, strengthen the damaged joints and increase mobility to help you get back to your active lifestyle. Read the following article to learn about the types of physical therapy that can help you find the relief you’ve been searching for.

Types of physical therapy for arthritis

Prior to undergoing physical therapy for arthritis, the first step for those suffering from this condition is to consult a doctor to diagnose the type of arthritis you have as well as the appropriate next steps to recapture your quality of life from this condition. This may include physical therapy options, such as:
- Occupational therapy — A physical therapist can work with you to determine lifestyle modifications that can help you accomplish your everyday tasks without the chronic pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.
- TENS therapy — Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy is a safe and effective method to override pain signals associated with arthritis by sending an electrical current to your nerves to release natural endorphins in the brain.
- Manual therapy — This physical therapy for arthritis is a great way to ease muscle and joint pain, increase blood circulation and promote healing through the manual manipulation of the muscles, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments.
Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for arthritis treatment today

To get started on your journey to find lasting relief, visit Whatcom Physical Therapy. Since 1997, our world-class therapists have helped patients around the Whatcom County, Washington, area ease the pain and discomfort associated with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Our team will focus on the root of your arthritis and customize a physical therapy treatment plan best suited for your needs.

Contact our team and schedule your initial appointment today to get started. We are standing by to help you learn about the physical therapy treatments we offer for arthritis that can help you get back in motion and put your arthritis in the rearview mirror.
June 3, 2019
How to find chronic arthritis treatment in Saint Charles, MO
Degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis, is an age-related, nonreversible condition that affects millions of people each year. While some people diagnosed with arthritis only have to deal with occasional aches, pains and stiffness, for others, the symptoms can be more severe and lead to chronic pain.

If your everyday activities, from work to family time, are being interfered with by arthritis, it’s important to keep a positive attitude. There are a broad range of effective chronic arthritis treatments out there, including physical therapy. Excel Sports and Physical Therapy wants to help patients in Saint Charles, Missouri and the surrounding region successfully manage their arthritis-related symptoms. Take some time to read the following information and don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to learn more.

How does physical therapy treat chronic arthritis?

As a condition closely related to the natural aging process, there is no cure for arthritis. The goal of chronic arthritis treatment should be to reduce pain and improve mobility to maximize a person’s quality of life. Physical therapy is a medical discipline that is designed to do that.

A licensed and credentialed physical therapist can assess painful movements and develop a treatment plan to loosen up restrictive joints, reduce inflammation, strengthen supporting muscles and relieve nerve compression. Common treatment methods include:
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic massage
- Strength and stability exercises
- Joint and soft tissue mobilization
Your therapist can also give you instruction regarding exercises and treatments, such as hot/cold compression therapy, that you can perform at home to augment your in-office sessions.

Get in touch with the experts at Excel

With a state-of-the-art clinic in Saint Charles and 10 more in the greater St. Louis region, we’re proud to serve local patients looking for chronic arthritis treatment. Our highly educated and experienced clinicians bring decades of combined experience with them and are passionate about delivering personalized care. We’ll answer your questions and find out your goals for activity and quality of life to build a plan that is centered around your needs.

To learn more about how we can help you reclaim a better quality of life, contact us today and schedule your initial appointment with a member of our caring team.
May 13, 2019
Physical therapy for chronic arthritis in Harmony, PA
Chronic arthritis is a condition that affects millions of Americans every year. In many cases, it develops due to old age. In other cases, it may be the result of injury, frequent heavy labor or being overweight.

Regardless of the cause, if you have arthritis, you’ll need treatment from a health care professional to reduce pain and improve your range of motion. One form of treatment that many people with arthritis choose is physical therapy.

Physical therapy treatments for chronic arthritis

Physical therapists use many different techniques to help people with arthritis reduce their pain and regain some mobility. If you live near Harmony, Pennsylvania, you can visit Panther Physical Therapy for a personalized treatment that may include:
- Stretching and exercising — Pain in the joints caused by arthritis is made worse by stiff and weak muscles. Muscles in this condition fail to provide enough support for the body, which increases pressure on the joints.
  
  Physical therapists can guide you through therapeutic exercises to help improve the strength and flexibility of your muscles. This can improve support for the joints and help lessen pain from arthritis.
- Manual therapy — Manual therapy techniques include movements of the spine and joints that can help reduce pain and improve your range of motion. Manual therapy may not be right for people with arthritis in advanced stages, but it can help if you’re still in the earlier stages of the disease.
- Electrical stimulation — Electrical stimulation uses tiny surges of electricity to help soothe pain and release tension in the muscles. This can help improve support for the spine and joints affected by arthritis.
- Posture guidance — The way you stand or sit may have a much harder impact on your joints than you realize. Physical therapists can examine your posture and gait. They will find areas that could use improvement to help reduce pressure off the joints affected by arthritis.
- Education for using assistive devices — Sometimes, it’s necessary to use an assistive device like a walker or a cane when you have chronic arthritis. It can be hard to safely move around with these devices if you don’t know how to use them.
  
  Physical therapists can show you how to safely and correctly use an assistive device to reduce the chances of falling while moving around.
Visit Panther Physical Therapy in Harmony for arthritis treatment

Do you live near the Harmony area and suffer from chronic arthritis? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy can help. Contact our team today to learn more about chronic arthritis treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.
May 6, 2019
Arthritis treatment in Wexford, PA
More than 30 million Americans suffer from inflammation and pain in the joints caused by arthritis. Arthritis works by causing the cartilage in the joints to wear down. This causes friction between the bones in the joints, which is painful and limits your range of motion.

Treatments for arthritis vary depending on its severity. Many treatments include the use of drugs and medications, but these often cause undesirable side effects. To reduce the need for drugs and medication, many people with arthritis visit physical therapists for treatment.

Physical therapy treatments for arthritis

If you live near Wexford, Pennsylvania, and need treatment for arthritis, you should visit Panther Physical Therapy. Our physical therapists are trained and experienced in many techniques to help reduce the pain and immobility caused by arthritis.

Many of our physical therapy treatments for arthritis include:
- Exercise — One of the effects of arthritis is pain in the bones and joints where the cartilage is worn down. Weak and stiff muscles and soft tissue increase pressure on these joints, which makes the pain worse.
  
  Physical therapists can guide people with arthritis through customized exercises and stretches to improve the condition of the muscles and soft tissue. This helps reduce pressure off the joints, which can lessen the pain caused by arthritis.
- Posture education — Arthritis causes pain that affects your posture. Unfortunately, sitting and standing with poor posture can make the symptoms of arthritis worse. Physical therapists can show you how to correct your posture to reduce pressure off the joints.
  
  Physical therapists can also show you how to use assistive devices like canes and walkers if necessary.
Visit Panther Physical Therapy in Wexford for arthritis treatment

Are you looking for alternative treatments to drugs and medication for arthritis? Physical therapy may be just what you need. Contact us today to learn more about physical therapy for arthritis or to schedule an initial appointment.
April 8, 2019