Finding it hard to make it through the workday because of joint pain. Passing the dog walking off to your spouse. Not being able to spend as much time playing with your grandchildren. These are just some of the effects that arthritis and its symptoms can have on your daily life.
Unfortunately, the number of Americans dealing with arthritis every day is very high. It’s estimated that more than 54 million Americans are living with some form of arthritis. Physical therapy is a treatment option that arthritis patients should consider. It’s known for helping joint pain and stiffness. More importantly, three types of physical therapy exist that you may not know about and that can help reduce your arthritis pain.
- Using the Mulligan technique
Coming into a physical therapy clinic allows your therapist to use many techniques on your arthritis pain. One technique that can be especially helpful is the Mulligan technique. This therapy method involves the therapist using their hands to reposition the joints in ways intended to reduce pain. One study shows that knee osteoarthritis patients using the Mulligan technique reported that it reduced their pain by an average of three points on the VAS scale.
- Learning new ways to get around
How you move during your normal daily tasks can have a lot to do with your level of arthritis pain. Your physical therapist can help you find new ways to accomplish your daily tasks with less arthritis pain.
One way they can do so is by identifying body positions, along with non-ergonomic work setups, that contribute to pain. There are ingenious workarounds for many of the moves that cause aching joints that you might never have guessed — whether it’s going up the stairs, emptying the dishwasher, or holding your grandchildren.
- Making all the right moves
What you may think of as “traditional” physical therapy is a technique that therapists call therapeutic exercise. These gentle exercises, which you can also do at home, are intended to help limber up your stiffened joints and muscles. They can also strengthen surrounding muscles for better support and increase your range of motion. All are designed to help arthritic patients move more freely and with less pain.
For instance, one study shows that walking can help reduce the functional limitations that knee osteoarthritis causes. The study reports that every 1,000 steps patients walked per day led to an up to 18% increase in their knee function.
Panther Physical Therapy offers effective arthritis pain physical therapy
Not sure where to find effective physical therapy for your arthritis pain? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy is here to help reduce the pain and other symptoms of arthritis. We’ll start by performing a free screening to determine the type of arthritis you have. Our team will then build you an individualized therapy plan designed to treat the specific symptoms of your arthritis.
Things keeping you at home? We’re currently offering at-home therapy and virtual care services. These two therapy options are designed to help you get the therapy you need from the safety of your own home. Additionally, you can begin using any of our high-quality therapy services without first getting a referral from your doctor.
Take the next step to start getting our help with your arthritis symptoms. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help or to schedule your free screening.