Individuals who suffer from arthritis experience pain on a more or less continuous basis during their waking hours. This is particularly true for elderly individuals because their joints and muscles are more prone to aches and pains as they age. While you may control episodes of muscular discomfort and joint pains with the aid of pain medications, you can also treat these issues with the assistance of physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy uses physical techniques rather than surgical treatments to treat health problems. Massage treatments, exercise, and heat therapy are all examples of this. To promote overall health and well-being, physiotherapists work with various patients, including those with arthritis, to help alleviate pain.
What Role Does Physiotherapy Play in the Treatment of Arthritis?
Physiotherapists who work with arthritis patients are particularly concerned about their patients’ mobility since arthritis may make even basic motions such as walking or climbing the stairs a problematic or impossible undertaking. If you are contemplating physiotherapy as a treatment for your illness or for a loved one who is suffering from arthritis, here are several ways in which this kind of treatment may be beneficial to you or them:
1. Manage Discomfort and Pain
The pain associated with arthritis may vary from mild to severe, with seniors often experiencing the worst symptoms. The combination of medicines prescribed by your healthcare professional and physical therapy may assist in relieving the pain and suffering even more effectively than either of these alone.
Your physiotherapy professional may recommend other means of pain treatment, such as cold packs or splints. Alternatively, your physiotherapist may suggest that you utilize a TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) device to alleviate your pain and discomfort.
Because certain activities and body postures may cause your joints and muscles to hurt more, they may advise you on how to pace yourself so that you don’t strain your joints and muscles. On the other hand, your therapist may recommend doing graded exercises to improve your mobility while strengthening your joints and muscles.
2. Regain the Ability to Move the Joints That Have Been Impaired
Joint and muscle pain may be localized to a particular region of your body, or it can be widespread across your whole. Following the severity of your arthritis, your physiotherapist will suggest a treatment plan that will gradually restore the function of your swollen joints to your body.
3. Maintain and Monitor Physical Fitness
As people get older, they become less and less active, which leads to an increase in the number of issues associated with mobility. However, some may unwittingly put themselves under stress due to everyday activities. In this situation, physiotherapy may assist you in maintaining an active lifestyle while still respecting your body’s limitations.
Several patients are apprehensive about undergoing physical therapy because they believe that participating in physical activity would exacerbate the discomfort in their muscles and joints. With each personal training session, you’ll not only learn how to increase your fitness, but you’ll also learn how to maintain a healthy weight, which will help you feel more confident about yourself and enjoy your golden years more comfortably.
For those concerned about the exercise regimens they’ll be required to follow, bear in mind that physiotherapists are skilled in creating exercise programs that are tailored to their patients’ current circumstances. You may be sure that any workout program you’ll be required to do will be carefully graded with your health and well-being in mind to get the most significant outcomes possible.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that before consulting with a physiotherapist, you must have particular objectives in mind. You may clear with you, or loved ones aim like getting into and out of the vehicle without experiencing any discomfort. Alternatively, you may want to alleviate the discomfort associated with walking. If you keep these considerations in mind, it will be easier for your therapist to develop a specific workout plan that will help you achieve your physical objectives.
If you are looking for the best home health care in Denver to provide for your elderly family members, Gateway Home Health & Hospice is your best option. We provide a wide range of skilled services that cater to your specific needs. Contact us today to request more information.