How Can Physiotherapy Help With Arthritis?

Arthritis

How Can Physiotherapy Help With Arthritis?

By: Nimba - August 11, 2021

Arthritis is a commonly occurring medical condition in every household nowadays. It is a form of degenerative disorder that affects the bone joints of our body. It is most commonly seen in the age range of 60 years and above. But the younger population isn’t immune to arthritis either. Many children and adolescents are also affected by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Arthritis is the condition of inflammation of one or multiple joints in the body. It can manifest in an acute or chronic form. The two most common types of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis, which occurs when the cartilages between joints are damaged, and 

Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system affects its own joints. Arthritis comes with the following symptoms:

  • Pain
  • Stiffness in the joints
  • Redness in the affected areas
  • Swelling
  • Difficulty in movement of the joints

It may accelerate with age, however, Arthritis may appear unexpectedly as well. Women are more prone to arthritis than men, especially in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, gout, another type of arthritis is more commonly found in men. Obesity is a major cause of arthritis and is often found in people with excess body weight. Family history and previous injuries can also be held responsible for arthritis.

Arthritis treatment in conventional medicine comprises either a prescription of analgesic, pain-killer medication or joint replacement surgeries. But these treatments involve a lot of risks, with the former causing addiction and having harmful effects and the latter being risky for patients of advanced age who might not be able to cope up. Here enters the alternative mode of treatment which is recommended by doctors to a majority of patients: Physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy is a branch of alternative healing methods that involve the use and manipulation of the natural body movement to help regulate and manage the problems faced by the patients and lessen their pain. 

Focusing attention on patients with arthritis, the goals of the physiotherapy treatment are:

  • Improving the mobility and restoring the use of affected joints, 
  • Increasing strength to support the joints, 
  • Maintaining fitness,
  • Preserving the ability to perform daily activities. 

Various modalities used by physiotherapists for treating patients include:

  • Exercises
  • Massages
  • Providing patients with walking aids
  • Electrotherapy

Physiotherapy for arthritis is one of the more natural ways to heal your joints and is recommended at the beginning stages itself. Since arthritis in every individual can vary from location to the impediment it creates and the attention a patient needs, after thorough diagnosis and analysis of the medical reports, physiotherapists create a regimen specially designed for that particular person so they get the exact quality and approach they need in their treatment program.

Some of the widely used and effective physiotherapy techniques are-

  • Hydrotherapy
  • Manual therapy
  • Cryotherapy in combination with heat therapy
  • Electric stimulation
  • Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises
  • Soft Tissue Mobilization or massage
  • Kinesio Taping
  • Therapeutic Ultrasound
  • Infrared therapy

The best way to receive physiotherapy treatment is to go to a holistic physiotherapy center and partake in all the facilities provided. Let your body heal in that conducive and peaceful environment. Arthritis is a chronic and painful condition that often breaks the mental strength and depletes the courage one possesses to fight and cope with this condition. Hence a full body and mind revitalization is needed to develop an optimistic attitude. One of the best institutes in the country to provide all these facilities with the support you need is Nimba Nature Cure in Gujarat. The expert practitioners and the calm and soothing environment of the wellness center will prove effective in revamping your health from the inside out.