When most people think of physical therapy for arthritis, they usually imagine stretches and exercises for osteoarthritis. This makes sense, as it’s the most common form of arthritis and can be treated successfully through personalized PT plans.
However, for other types, like rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the standard approach tends to include medication aimed at achieving remission. But what happens when medications aren’t enough, or when they cause unwanted side effects?
Physical therapy stands as a well-supported and effective treatment option for managing pain and improving function across all forms of arthritis. It offers a way to regain strength, flexibility, and control over your life, regardless of the specific diagnosis.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. While it can damage any joint, OA most commonly affects joints in the hands, knees, hips, and spine.
Causes and symptoms of osteoarthritis
The breakdown of cartilage in OA can be caused by a combination of factors, including age, joint injury, repetitive stress on the joint, genetics, and additional underlying health conditions. As the affected joints deteriorate, bone may rub against bone, leading to a range of symptoms:
- Pain: Affected joints may ache during or after movement.
- Stiffness: Joint stiffness is often most noticeable upon waking or after periods of inactivity.
- Tenderness: The joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure.
- Loss of flexibility: You might not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
- Grating sensation: You may feel a grating sensation or hear a popping or crackling sound when you use the joint.
- Bone spurs: Hard lumps can form around the affected joint.
What to expect from physical therapy for osteoarthritis
The main goal of physical therapy for arthritis is to reduce pain, improve joint function, and enhance your quality of life. A physical therapist will create a personalized treatment plan that may include:
- Therapeutic exercises: A program of specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around your joints, which helps absorb shock and stabilize the joint. Range-of-motion exercises are often included to reduce stiffness and improve flexibility.
- Manual therapy: Hands-on techniques like joint mobilization can help improve movement and reduce pain.
- Pain management techniques: Your therapist may teach you to use modalities like heat or cold therapy to manage pain and inflammation rather than additional medication.
- Education: You will learn how to perform daily activities with less strain on your joints, proper body mechanics, and strategies for weight management if necessary.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. This means your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body, causing painful swelling primarily in the joints. RA usually attacks many joints at once, commonly affecting the hands, wrists, and knees.
Causes and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
The exact cause of RA is unknown, but it’s believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Unlike the “wear and tear” damage of osteoarthritis, RA causes the lining of your joints to become inflamed, which can lead to joint damage and deformity.
Symptoms often include:
- Pain or aching in more than one joint.
- Stiffness in more than one joint.
- Tenderness and swelling in multiple joints.
- The same symptoms on both sides of the body (e.g., in both hands or both knees).
- Fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite.
- Joint inflammation that can affect other organs, like the eyes, skin, or lungs.
What to expect from physical therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
While medications are the first line of defense for RA, physical therapy for rheumatoid arthritis may be helpful for managing symptoms and maintaining function in the long term. Treatment focuses on protecting joints and keeping them functional. A physical therapist might recommend:
- Gentle range-of-motion exercises: During flare-ups, gentle stretching is important to keep joints flexible without causing more inflammation.
- Strengthening exercises: Once inflammation subsides, strengthening exercises help support the joints. Low-impact aerobic exercises like swimming or cycling are often recommended.
- Joint protection strategies: You’ll learn techniques to perform tasks in ways that reduce stress on your joints, often using adaptive equipment if needed.
- Pain relief: Therapists may teach you to use modalities like heat or cold packs to ease pain and stiffness.
- Splinting: Custom splints for hands or wrists can help support joints, reduce inflammation, and prevent deformities.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is another type of inflammatory arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis, a condition that features red patches of skin topped with itchy scales or flakes of skin.
Causes and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis
Like RA, psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune condition. The immune system attacks healthy tissue, leading to inflammation and an overproduction of skin cells in the affected area. Symptoms can vary from person to person and can affect any part of the body, but in PsA, often affect joints such as the knees and elbows.
Key characteristics that set it apart from other forms of arthritis include:
- Swollen fingers and toes: PsA can cause a painful swelling of your fingers and toes (dactylitis).
- Foot pain: Pain at the points where tendons and ligaments attach to your bones (enthesitis) is common, especially at the back of your heel or the sole of your foot.
- Lower back pain: Some people develop spondylitis, an inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of your spine.
- Nail changes: Fingernails and toenails may develop pitting or separate from the nail bed.
Psoriatic arthritis is a complex disease that requires a diagnosis from a medical doctor to account for the many different types of symptoms that may be present.
What to expect from physical therapy for psoriatic arthritis
For those who don’t respond well to medication or are looking for complementary treatments, physical therapy for psoriatic arthritis can be important. The goals are similar to treating other forms of arthritis with physical therapy: reduce pain, maintain mobility, and improve overall function. A physical therapist will tailor a program that may include:
- Specific stretches: Exercises designed to maintain flexibility in the fingers, toes, and spine.
- Strengthening programs: Focused exercises to support affected joints without exacerbating pain.
- Postural training: If spondylitis is present, learning proper posture is essential to manage back pain.
- Manual therapy: Gentle hands-on techniques to improve joint mobility and ease stiffness.
- Activity modification: Learning new ways to perform daily tasks to protect joints from further stress.
Arthritis pain management and treatment in Sacramento and Elk Grove
The takeaway from the many different forms and treatment methods for arthritis is that physical therapy is often helpful in addition to or as an alternative to other treatment methods. The holistic practice of strengthening the areas surrounding the joints affected by arthritis has a positive effect on the longevity of the health of those joints.
Learn whether physical therapy may help you feel stronger, more flexible, and more capable by calling a nearby Alves and Martinez clinic or by requesting an initial appointment online today.