Take a Proactive Approach to Arthritis Pain with Physical Therapy

Have you recently learned that your persistent joint pain is the result of arthritis? For many, this can be a challenging discovery, as the most common forms of arthritis have no known cures. But rest assured that you do not have to spend your life living with debilitating joint pain — physical therapy can help!

Arthritis refers to several conditions that cause joint inflammation, leading to its two primary symptoms: pain and mobility restriction. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, can cause pain during movement. It’s no surprise, then, that many people with arthritis wind up avoiding physical activity. 

In reality, regular physical activity is one of the best ways to manage arthritis pain. Physical activity can also help delay the progression of arthritis — and help you avoid surgery.

As movement experts, the team at Connecticut Physical Therapy Specialists is well-equipped to help you manage your arthritis pain. The physical therapy approach to arthritis management focuses on drug-free pain relief and regular movement. Best of all, it allows you to take a proactive role in your treatment.

Let’s look at what happens when you exercise regularly with arthritis — and what happens when you don’t. And if you’d like to learn more, call us to schedule an appointment today!

Staff Spotlight: Laura Frechette (DPT)

Laura graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science. She went on to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Connecticut in 2020. She currently advances her training through the Manual Therapy Institute. Outside of work, Laura is a runner, audio-book enthusiast, painter, and loves to spend quality time with her family.

Got Arthritis? What To Expect if You Skip Regular Exercise

1. Your muscles will weaken: One of the big benefits of exercise is that it builds muscle mass. If you don’t exercise regularly, your muscle mass will decrease — especially if you’re older, as muscle mass naturally decreases as we age. What does this mean if you have arthritis? Without strong muscles, your impacted joints don’t get the strength and stability they need to function, which puts even more stress on them — and means more pain in the long run.
2. Your joints will get stiffer: Our bodies are made to move, and when we don’t move them frequently enough, our joints don’t get the lubrication they need to run properly. This is as true for people with arthritis as it is for anyone else. Plus, since arthritis causes joint stiffness, not moving will only worsen your symptoms.
3. You increase your risk of injury: When you don’t exercise, you start to lose everyday abilities like balance, stability, and coordination. You can also develop muscular imbalances, improper biomechanics, or postural issues, all of which increase your odds of suffering an injury.

What Happens When You Do Exercise with Arthritis

1. You’ll experience less pain: While it’s true that activity can initially worsen arthritis pain, regular exercise will decrease your pain symptoms over time. 
2. You’ll experience fewer mobility restrictions: Just as regular exercise can decrease pain, it will also help improve your range of motion — meaning you can move more easily.
3. The progression of your arthritis may slow: Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis — the two most common forms of arthritis — will gradually worsen over time and may eventually require you to undergo surgery. Exercising won’t cure arthritis, but it will slow the damage to your joints.
4. You may feel more empowered: Living with a chronic condition is hard. Regular exercise can help you feel like you’re taking an active role in managing your condition and reducing your pain.
5. You’ll experience other physical and mental benefits: Exercise offers many benefits beyond pain management. It can improve mood and quality of sleep, protect you from heart disease and diabetes, and help you stay active and independent well into old age.