Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic degenerative joint conditions experienced by today's population. Osteoarthritis affected nearly 65 million INDIANS from 1990 to 2019.
Its relevance is seen predominantly at the old age population, postmenopausal women, patients with chronic obesity, and in people with heavy physical and occupational activity.
It is characterized by hypertrophy of bone at margins i.e., destruction of margins, loss in the cartilage connecting the bones, changes in membrane and joint capsule along with the decrease in range of motion at the affected joint.
Patients' ability to cope with osteoarthritis, despite the pain and disability caused by it, often determines how much of an impact it will have on their life.
Physiotherapists play a significant role in the management and betterment of arthritic conditions. Over the years, major advancements in the field of physiotherapy have led to an array of therapeutic options that can be administered to patients to relieve pain and manage symptoms.
Following are a few techniques:
Exercise Therapy:
The most important treatment regime in physiotherapy for osteoarthritis is through a variety of exercises, depending on the area involved. The mode of exercise can vary from strengthening, stretching, balance and coordination exercises, target or function-specific exercises, and aquatic therapy, all of which aim to improve the quality of life.
Assistive Devices:
These devices usually include walkers and canes which help in adjusting the body weight off of the lower extremity joints, therefore reducing the pressure applied on them during activity. These devices consist of Walkers, Canes, Tripods, and crutches. These are adjustable in accordance with the patient's height and the extent of the deformity of joints.
Electrotherapy:
This term means the use of modified electrical physical agents for the relief of pain in OA patients. This includes various modalities like TENS, IFT, thermotherapy agents like hot packs, and so on. Electrotherapy combined with exercise therapy has been proven to show effective results.
Orthotics:
Orthotics help in supporting the already inflamed joint by reducing the load on the joint and thereby providing support and temporary pain relief. An array of products is available for OA: from kneecaps to shoe inserts, from thumb splints to upper limb joint bands.
Why Should You Have Physical Therapy for Arthritis?
Maintain Or Increase the Joint Range of Motion:
Joint stiffness is one of the most common presentations of OA. Range of motion exercise refers to activity aimed at improving the movement of a specific joint which are important to maintaining healthy joint flexibility.
Improve Balance:
Patients experience instability and imbalance due to decreased joint motion, decreased stability, and muscle weakness. Balance and coordination exercises also help to improve patients’ overall balance, therefore, preventing the chance of falls.
Strengthen The Muscles That Support Joints:
The protective joint cartilage around the joint wears away in osteoarthritis, therefore, leading to painful friction. Therefore, muscle strengthening exercises through therapy will help to increase the stability and overall strength of the joint.
Adjust Posture:
Improper posture leads to stress on arthritic joints. Physical therapy can help you adjust your posture and put less stress on joints as the patient sits, stands, and walks.
Physical therapists help patients understand OA and its complications, provide treatments to lessen pain, improve movement, and offer education about obesity and healthy lifestyle choices.
Physical therapists are also movement experts. They improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement. A physical therapist can be consulted directly for an evaluation.
Therefore, to conclude this article, physiotherapeutic advancements have helped in the management and improvement of OA symptoms. Therefore, on this World Physiotherapy Day, let’s educate ourselves on osteoarthritis and the importance of physiotherapy! Let’s keep moving!!