Joint Pain

Could Your Joint Pain Be Arthritis?

Did you know that arthritis is the most common cause of disability in this country? More than 20 million individuals with arthritis have severe limitations in function on a daily basis.

If you have pain, swelling or inflammation in your joints, you could have arthritis. Arthritis causes pain and may limit your range of motion in and around joints of the back, hands, feet, neck, shoulders, knees, elbows, and hips. There are many different forms of arthritis. The most common is osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, which is the result of trauma to the joint, infection, age, or overuse.

Managing Arthritis Pain

For immediate relief of acute pain in your joints

• Rest the joint until the pain subsides to prevent further inflammation.
• Apply cold or heat to the joint to ease pain or stiffness – 15 minutes twice a day.
• Take painkillers or anti-inflammatories as recommended by your doctor.

For a longer-term approach

• If you are overweight try to shed some pounds.
  Golden Gate Physical Therapy can help with a fitness plan.
• Participate in regular non-jarring exercise.
  Golden Gate Physical Therapy can guide your routine.
• Consult a doctor who will determine the type of arthritis you have.

Medications

Caution: There is no pharmaceutical cure for arthritis. Initially, your doctor may prescribe painkillers, anti-inflammatory medications, even cortisone injections, for short intervals but these methods can only be used for brief periods of time.

Arthritis and Physical Therapy

Arthritis cannot be cured, but you can prevent the condition from worsening.

It is extremely helpful to develop a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen muscles around the affected area. Golden Gate Physical Therapy specializes in developing custom exercise routines that target the unique needs of our clients who have joint pain and arthritis.

Call us to discuss how you can benefit from a program designed around your medical situation and life style.

Arthritis and Diet

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) performed a survey in which over 1,000 arthritis patients indicated the foods that most commonly worsen arthritis pain. You may improve your symptoms by altering your diet.

Avoid Surgery and Manage Your Pain

At Golden Gate Physical Therapy the number one thing our clients want is to retain their active life style. Avoiding surgery is another important issue.

We make this happen in a seamless and noninvasive way by managing pain, increasing movement, and maximizing function. Some of our therapies work extremely quickly because the underlying problem is acute and, therefore, easy to reverse. Other situations are more difficult may take longer. Failed surgeries, long-term inflammation, and severe injuries can all play a part in recovery times and outcomes.

If you are having a joint replacement surgery or would like to avoid surgery, physical therapy can be remarkably effective at bringing you back to pain-free vitality and mobility.  Contact Golden Gate Physical Therapy to find out how.