Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain
Are you experiencing persistent joint pain, particularly in a weight-bearing joint like your hip or knee? Do you ever notice a clicking or grinding sensation in your painful joint? If so, you may have developed osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in the United States.
Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation and lead to pain and restricted mobility. The source of that inflammation will vary depending on the type of arthritis. In osteoarthritis, it’s caused by degeneration of the cartilage and bone tissue in the affected joint.
Osteoarthritis has no cure and can profoundly impact your overall quality of life, making it harder for you to stay active, keep up with chores, and enjoy time with your loved ones. Fortunately, physical therapy at CTPTS offers several tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms — often enough that you can delay or even avoid surgical interventions.
If you’re tired of living with osteoarthritis pain, call us to schedule an appointment today!
Staff Spotlight: David Bostic
David graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in physical therapy. He completed his Orthopedic Manual Therapy Residency through Manual Therapy Institute (MTI) accredited by Rosalind Franklin University. He later completed the fellowship portion through the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. David currently serves as Practice Manager at CTPTS and is part of the Clinical Faculty for MTI. Prior to the launch of CTPTS in 2011, he practiced and managed in a variety of physical therapy settings. Outside of work he enjoys sailing, motor sports, martial arts and bonsai.
Understanding Osteoarthritis: Symptoms and Causes
The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the affected joint. These symptoms often manifest in the following ways:
- Pain during activity but not while at rest
- Pain when you press on the joint
- Joint stiffness first thing in the morning
- Joint stiffness after sitting or lying down for long periods
- Noises in the joint, including creaking, cracking, or crunching
While any joint can develop osteoarthritis, it most commonly occurs in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips. However, it’s also fairly common in the hands, spine, and feet.
The causes of osteoarthritis are complex, and several factors can contribute to it. One of these factors is age: approximately 73% of people with the condition are 55 years or older. That’s not to say osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of the aging process — plenty of older people don’t have it. But your chances of developing it do increase as you age.
Other possible factors contributing to osteoarthritis include past injuries to the joint, gender (women are more likely to develop it than men), body weight, and even genetic predispositions.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“This place was great. Very friendly and efficient staff. All of my appointments took only about 30 minutes each, much quicker than past PT places I’ve been to. Mike and Tom were my two primary therapists. Both of them did an excellent job of clearly explaining my cause of injury and outlining a plan for how to get back to full strength. They not only gave me a handful of exercises to perform during each visit and eloquently explained how each exercise would be beneficial, but did a great job of not overloading me with information on any visit. Each visit, they gradually gave me more challenging exercises and by the end I felt very confident in doing everything they taught me. Would highly recommend.” — W.D.
How Physical Therapy Helps Manage Osteoarthritis Symptoms
The good news is that you can control osteoarthritis symptoms with the help of physical therapy. Although movement can be painful with osteoarthritis, exercise is one of the best drug-free ways to manage the condition. Our physical therapists will help you find an exercise program that suits your needs.
Here’s how we’ll do it:
- Comprehensive Evaluation: We start by evaluating how osteoarthritis impacts you, including performing simple tests to assess your strength, mobility, and/or balance. We’ll also ask you about the ways that osteoarthritis is negatively affecting your life. For example, which activities do you find challenging?
- Provide Pain Relief: We’ll use manual therapy techniques to help manage your pain and get the joint moving in a gentle way. For example, we might guide the joint through its current range of motion or manipulate the surrounding soft tissue.
- Build Strength and Restore Mobility: We’ll develop a customized, progressive exercise program to rebuild lost strength and mobility in the affected joint. Building strength, in particular, can help support and protect the joint so you can move more easily.
- Develop An At-Home Exercise Program: You’ll supplement your sessions in our clinic with a personalized home workout program to ensure you keep moving! We’ll find something that suits your abilities and interests, such as a walking program or water aerobics.
- Provide Strategies for Activity Modifications: Finally, we can help you identify and avoid any specific activities that might put too much strain on your joints. If needed, we can also show you how to use mobility aids (such as canes or walkers).
We Are Hiring!
Are you a passionate Doctor of Physical Therapy looking to make a meaningful impact?
Join our team and become an integral part of our mission to enhance lives through rehabilitation and wellness. We’re seeking a dedicated and skilled individual to join our dynamic team, providing exceptional care and support to our valued patients. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy with us, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse and talented team, utilizing the latest techniques and technologies to help our patients achieve their goals. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and make a difference in the lives of others, we want to hear from you!
Don’t Let Osteoarthritis Pain Hold You Back!
We know that living with osteoarthritis can be difficult, but the physical therapists at CTPTS are here to help you manage your condition and live your life to the fullest. With customized treatment plans, targeted exercise programs, and acute pain management techniques, physical therapy can help you take control of osteoarthritis pain. Ready to get started? Call us to schedule your initial consultation today!
Clinic News
The Practice Marketing Podcast
Tune in now to the latest episode of ‘The Practice Marketing Podcast’ CTPTS was featured on! Colin & Olivia dove deep into marketing a 3 location PT practice and shared valuable insights into the PT world. Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – also available on YouTube!
Simple Movements to Help Alleviate OA Pain
If you have osteoarthritis, it’s important to stay active to help keep your joints healthy. While our physical therapists can help you develop a suitable exercise program, you can also incorporate movement in small ways throughout the day. These simple exercises will help mobilize your joints, and you can easily do them at home. Of course, check with your PT before starting anything new!
- Ankle Circles: While sitting in a chair, stretch your feet out in front of you, keeping them neutral (neither pointed nor flexed). Gently tilt both feet in one direction, then repeat in the other.
- Knee Raises: Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight and your feet planted on the floor. Slowly lift your knee as high as possible without bending your back, guiding it up with your hands if necessary. Then, making sure to keep your core tight, gently lower your foot back to the floor. Repeat on the other side.
- Overhead Shoulder Stretches: You can do this exercise sitting or standing. Hold your arms at your side, your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and your thumbs pointed toward your shoulders. Then, stretch your arms straight overhead and slowly lower back down. If lifting both arms is too difficult, lift them one at a time. You can guide your arm up under the elbow if necessary.
Looking for more simple arthritis stretches? Call CTPTS for an appointment today!
HAVE YOU MET YOUR ANNUAL INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE?
If your deductible is met, your physical therapy may not cost you anything. This means that the cost of physical therapy could be minimal or completely covered by the patient’s insurance plan. If you are close to or have met your insurance deductible for the year, then now is the time to come in for physical therapy! Let us help you get a head start for 2025.
Sources
- https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-osteoarthritis
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/osteoarthritis
- https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/getting-started/benefits-of-exercise-for-osteoarthritis
- https://arthritis.ca/living-well/2020/top-10-arthritis-exercises
