Each week in the clinic we get new patients coming in asking for help and advice in looking after, treating and improving arthritic joints.
Here are some of the many ways we can help you or someone you know with arthritis:
Prevention
- We take a very pro-active approach to helping maintain a healthy, active life. As physio’s we are perfectly placed to advise on helping minimise the impact of some arthritis’s. For example – if you’ve suffered with an injury or pain for some time, it is no doubt going to have an impact on how you move. The adjustments your body can make to compensate can be incredible and subsequently this can cause wear & tear on other areas of the body. By making sure you move as optimally as possible during your rehabilitation, we minimise any unnecessary impact on other areas of your body, helping you move ‘normally’.
- By advising people on how best to support and look after their joints, often we can help to delay the onset of arthritis or reduce the impact it has on their daily lives. After all, prevention is always better than cure!
- We can look at joint movement, muscle strength, posture, gait and alignment and give tips on areas that are weak or may need work to stop them from developing into a more serious issue. You may benefit from a course of Physiotherapy, a home exercise programme or joining one of our Pilates classes or Positive Steps sessions to keep mobile.
Treatment
- If you book an appointment to see us to help resolve your arthritic pain, we’ll fully assess, diagnose and treat your symptoms, getting you back to your normal self as quickly as we can. We take into account your lifestyle, your aims & goals and are realistic with helping you work out what you can achieve.
- The initial assessment will look at movement, strength and function of the painful joint or region. We’ll also look at your posture and gait to make sure you are moving correctly. Treatment will be tailored to your needs and you’ll also get a home exercise programme to help with your recovery. Treatment may consist of the following:
- Joint Mobilisations – to loosen stiff joints and increase the range of movement available.
- Soft Tissue Work – including massage, trigger point release and myofascial release to relieve muscular spasm and tightness that could be limiting movement or causing pain.
- Exercise Programme – this could cover a variety of areas, including strength, mobility, flexibility, balance and proprioception. This is an essential part of your treatment.
- Acupuncture – to help with pain relief or to loosen out soft tissues that may be tight or overactive.
If you would like to book an appointment or speak to one of our Physiotherapists about how we can help – just give the Reception team a call on 023 8025 3317.