What is Arthritis?
Arthritis, or osteoarthritis in particular, is the degeneration of cartilage in your joints. Most commonly affecting hips and knees, but can build up in any joint in the body. Osteoarthritis is often referred to as “wear and tear” of the joints. On one hand, this is not a terrible analogy, because we know that the likelihood of symptomatic osteoarthritis gradually increases in conjunction with age. On the other hand, this is a TERRIBLE analogy because it is suggestive that joints can be “worn out” from use, when in reality the opposite is probably true. Studies have shown that staying active, may actually prevent osteoarthritis. Strategies for Prevention of Knee OA
How is Arthritis Treated?
Development of osteoarthritis is a normal part of aging. It sometimes becomes symptomatic and interferes with your quality of life – the good news is it is very common and very treatable with a patient-specific treatment plan. There are also other types of arthritis (rheumatic, psoriatic), which are indications for physical therapy intervention. Ultimately, we all have one body and we all have some development of arthritis within it – Physical Therapy is very helpful in helping attenuate symptoms, recover from surgery when indicated, and possibly prevent development or worsening of your problem.
Are There Different Types Of Arthritis?
There are many different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis – just to name a few. These are all slightly different regarding the specific disease process, as well as, the management. Physical therapy treatments are personalized and tailored to your specific problems, not just your diagnosis. We determine what plan of care will benefit the patient, as a whole, not just a diagnosis on a piece of paper. We work with all other specialties of physicians to coordinate care and give you the best results possible, based on your specific problems.
