Written by Brian Hartz, DPT, MPT, OCS, CSCS
Article
Arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the joints. It can cause pain, stiffness,
and swelling. The hips, knees, hands, and spine are the most commonly affected joints. Arthritis
is not a single disease but an umbrella term that includes a variety of different types. Some of
the more common examples are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and
ankylosing spondylitis.
While physical therapy might not be the first treatment you think of for arthritis, it probably
should be. A lot of people with arthritis choose to use medication to manage their pain, stop
activities that hurt, and wait for things to get bad enough to have a joint replacement. But this
isn’t a great plan – all medications have side effects, even over the counter ones. Reducing
activity leads to muscle atrophy and even stiffer joints. Even though joint replacement surgery
usually has good outcomes, it does come with its own set of risks and a painful recovery.
Physical therapy has been extensively researched as a treatment for arthritis, and demonstrates
good outcomes. Physical therapists typically start with exercise as the base for arthritis
treatment. Exercise helps to regain lost joint motion, decrease feelings of stiffness, and
strengthen muscles surrounding the affected joint. These benefits are all somewhat obvious.
What surprises many people is that exercise has been shown to be as effective as medication
for pain relief in many types of arthritis, without the side effects.
Physical therapy has more to offer people with arthritis than just exercise though. Education
helps people understand their condition, what to expect, and how to manage it. As experts in
human movement, physical therapists are especially good at helping people modify the way
they perform certain tasks or activities to reduce strain on joints affected by arthritis. They can
also suggest ways to modify the environment at work or home to reduce pain and improve
function. They may also suggest things like braces, orthotics, or other devices that can help
maintain mobility and reduce pain. On top of all of that, PT has been proven to be a cost
effective treatment, too.
With so many techniques that are proven effective in helping people with arthritis, physical
therapy is a recommended as a FIRST line of treatment. Now that you have a
better understanding of what PT can do, hopefully you’ll think of HARTZ PT first when you think of
arthritis too.