Arthritis is a medical condition characterised by joint inflammation. People with arthritis experience varying symptoms such as pain, swelling, joint stiffness, or immobility. Physiotherapy is one of the interventions used to manage physiotherapy. Its primary objective is to improve the patient's level of comfort by reducing pain and promoting mobility. Below is an excerpt detailing how physiotherapy can help manage your arthritis.
Finding the Right Physiotherapy
Once your doctor recommends physiotherapy as a way to manage your arthritis, your first concern should be to find a physiotherapist who can help out with your condition. There are many physiotherapists in the market. As such, you could have trouble selecting one professional among the many. Below are a few tips to help you out.
- Go for a physiotherapist specialising in the management of arthritis and related conditions. It is a guarantee that the physiotherapist comprehends your condition and its symptoms.
- Interview some of the physiotherapist's clients to establish how they rate their services. Positive reviews will increase your confidence in the therapist's services.
- Inquire about the physiotherapist's availability. For instance, if your condition is severe, you would prefer a therapist that offers home visits.
- Check the physiotherapist's pricing. If you have insurance coverage, check whether the therapist offers bulk-billing services.
Enjoying the Right Techniques
During your first visit to the therapist, they will assess the severity of your symptoms. As such, you can expect questions such as, when did you experience the first symptoms? What medication have you been taking? Which joints experience the most pain? Are your joints stiff? This information will help the therapist to determine a suitable treatment approach. Below are some physiotherapy techniques that could help alleviate the symptoms of your condition:
- Heat and ice packs will help reduce swelling and pain.
- Manual therapy and deep tissue massage can help reduce pain and restore the mobility of stiff joints.
- The physiotherapist could also opt to use electrotherapy. It is a technique where the physiotherapist stimulates the affected area with electrical currents. Electrotherapy can promote blood circulation, reduce pain and heal internal wounds.
- Range of motion exercises will improve the mobility of affected joints.
Your physiotherapist will not use all these techniques at once. Instead, they will evaluate your condition and determine which intervention works best. Typically, they will create a physiotherapy program detailing the interventions they will use and the number of sessions you will have each week. They will use this program to conduct regular reviews. These assessments will establish the success of the intervention. If they are not successful, your therapist will suggest alternative interventions.
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