Welcome back iMove PT community!
We’ve all heard someone talking about their Uncle Arthur paying a visit. Or folks dealing with “the Rheumatism”, or their “Achy Bones”… Whatever you want to call it, arthritis is no fun and is everywhere in our society. In fact, osteoarthritis (the type of arthritis we will be discussing) is the leading cause of disability in older adults. Recent data reveals 32.5 million adults, YES 32.5 MILLION, have osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is just one type of arthritis. It is a type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of cartilage in a joint. It is important to understand, you just don’t wake up one day with arthritis, it is a disease that gradually progresses. Some of the disease progression is genetic and some of the disease progression is within our control (hmmm, sounds to me like a future blog topic!).
But do not worry, do not fear, you can still lead a physically active and fulfilling life, even if Uncle Arthur has paid a permanent visit to your home!
These days, the internet is swarming with “Want to Be” physicians and physical therapists. Many of these self-proclaimed “experts” are responsible for the multitude of myths and misinformation about arthritis. Let’s talk about some of these myths as they relate to back pain. Time to go Myth Busting!!!
Myth Busting #1: “Arthritis is causing my back pain”
“How dare you, Dr. Gorman…How dare you say that arthritis isn’t causing my back pain!”
Most times the cause of your pain is the inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding your arthritic joints. When we talk about soft tissue we mean the ligaments, tendons, muscles, fascia, and fat (yes fat!)…that are the supporting tissues around the joint.
When we have pain, we avoid movement. That makes sense, why would we do something that causes us pain. It is good that we were created to be aware of pain and to not move past pain. However, prolonged inactivity leads to more breakdown of the joint, leading to altered movement patterns and so forth and so on!
Myth Busting #2: “I have been diagnosed with arthritis, there is nothing I can do”
I want you to understand that just because you have been told you have arthritis does not mean that your life has to change!
Keep in mind that there are varying levels of arthritis. You may have a very mild level of arthritis which will have minimal impact on your movement and physical function. And even if you have advanced arthritis that does not mean you are doomed! There are plenty of ways to help you manage arthritis and slow down the progression of the disease.
Weight management, 1 on 1 physical therapy for your specific level of arthritis, proper footwear, appropriate medication, and improving overall fitness levels are all things you can do to help with your arthritis.
After reading Myth Busting #2, you should now know that exercise IS appropriate for your arthritis! However, you must do appropriate exercise.
What exercise is appropriate? That is a great question. Exercise is appropriate when it improves your joint range of motion, improves muscle strength, and improves blood flow.
OK, that makes sense. Then what is inappropriate exercise? Any exercise that increases pain or is performed with poor form that could cause damage to the arthritic joint is an inappropriate exercise. Remember to always start a new exercise program cautiously and slowly.
The specialists at iMove PT are here to help you decrease your pain and improve your physical function! Respect your arthritis but never give in to it, never give up!
iMove PT will go where you are and will give you a full 60 minutes of the specialized iMove PT care you deserve, the care you should receive every single physical therapy session.
To start receiving physical therapy with iMove PT please contact us at 636.893.8312 or email us at info@imovephysicaltherapy.com. We look forward to you joining our community! Thank you for reading and as always…Stay Home Stay Strong!