Arthritis affects more than 20 million Americans each year. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), followed second by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Arthritis can affect people not only physically, but also financially and emotionally.

You can decrease your pain, decrease destructive forces on the joint, and maintain range of motion by adhering to just a few joint protection rules.  

Listen to what your body is telling you! If you have pain in your joints while doing an activity, this activity may not be good for you to be doing. The same thing is true if you have pain right after doing an activity. You may find this happens when you are doing repetitive activities such as knitting or gardening. Knitting, for example, may cause your fingers to stiffen up. You may notice pain or stiffness while knitting or after you stop knitting. In either case this pain or stiffness is your body telling you that knitting is hurting your joints.  

Joint protection can help you prevent further damage to the associated tissues. There are several rules of joint protection. If each rule is followed, you can help minimize the affects of arthritis on your joints.  

1. The first rule involves maintaining fitness, strengthening muscles and increasing range of motion. If you are in good physical shape, the muscles will be better able to support the joints. The better shape you are in, the better you are able to maintain the full range of motion needed for all types of activities. Cardiovascular activities help you stay in good physical condition.  

2. The next rule of joint protection deals with minimizing destructive forces on your joints. If you suffer from arthritis, you should avoid heavy lifting, gripping against resistance, and activities that cause pain. In other words, you should try to avoid activities which aggravate your symptoms. If you cannot avoid these aggravating activities, be sure to take frequent breaks.  

3. The last rule is to avoid static positions, in other words, staying in one position for a long time. All types of arthritis can cause stiffness when joints are not in use. You should alternate between resting and activity. Try to change your position every half hour. Create a balance between rest to allow healing, and exercise to maintain strength and range of motion. Motion is lotion to the joints!

Types of Arthritis You Might Be Referred to a PT for:  

1.  Osteoarthritis (OA) is believed to be caused by “wear and tear”, repetitive injury and physical trauma. When the cartilage between bones breaks down, the bone ends start to rub together during movement which can be very painful and may cause swelling and a decrease in range of motion for that joint.       

Obesity and incorrect joint alignment may also play a role in the erosion of cartilage and joint tissues. Although any joint can suffer from OA the most common areas of the body affected are the spine, hips, knees and fingers. Symptoms of OA include stiffness, a crunching feeling or sound when the joint is moved, swelling, and constant or intermittent pain in the affected joints.  

2.  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which means that it causes the body’s immune system (self-defense mechanism against disease) to malfunction and attacks the healthy joint tissues and cartilage surrounding the bones. One of the many theories on the cause of RA is that some genes may have a genetic predisposition (a susceptibility to a disease, arising from one’s hereditary structure) to developing this disease. RA can be brought on by an infection, bacterial or viral, in a body that has inherited a tendency to RA. RA causes the joint lining to become inflamed, which can lead to serious pain, loss of motion, and severe swelling. RA has also been known to cause inflammation of other bodily tissues including the heart muscles, lung tissue and glands.

Your Physical Therapist Can Help

Many people think of arthritis as a normal part of aging. They may falsely think that nothing can be done to help them. However, your Physical Therapist (PT) can help a person actively manage OA. Your PT will educate you about the disease and joint protection to improve the ability to use the affected body part. They will also offer advice on how to live with the disease without aggravating or accelerating the damage caused by OA.  

Using specialized skills in assessment of pain, swelling, loss of motion or strength, your PT can determine the appropriate course of treatment. They will access a person’s daily activities and recommend specialized tools (adaptive devices) if needed. Whether at home, leisure or work, these tools can help make the task easier to do. In most cases, the sooner therapy begins, the better the outcome.

Proper treatment early on can help limit pain and improve function. Early treatment can mean less joint damage and less pain. A person should not ignore what his/her body is telling them. Find out why you are having pain by seeing your doctor and a Physical Therapist as soon as possible.

Your Physical Therapist will help you analyze the activities that you regularly do. They will help you learn how to modify these activities using the joint protection rules and adaptive equipment. Remember, pain-reduced or pain-free participation in activities is the key to helping you maintain strength, range of motion and well-being.  

Why Try PT First?  

Though there is no known cure for either type of arthritis, there can be relief from the pain and symptoms associated with these diseases. Physical Therapists are highly trained to identify the faulty moving components, weak or tight muscles and can restore normal motion. This reduces arthritis pain and stiffness as well as restricts further stress to the bones and ligaments. The goals of Physical Therapy are to restore the normal motion, flexibility and strength in the muscles and joints to get them to move freely and without the stiffness and pain of arthritis. As a result, you not only function better but have reduced swelling and discomfort.