According to the Canadian Arthritis Society, 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from Arthritis; that means 6 million Canadians are suffering from arthritis right now. Chances are, you or someone in your life is living with arthritis. Here’s what you need to know about arthritis and how physiotherapy can help.
Arthritis can either be classified as osteoarthritis (OA) or inflammatory arthritis.
Osteoarthritis commonly occurs with ageing or in response to an injury. It is, as the Osteoarthritis Research Society describes it, “the body’s failed attempt to repair damaged joint tissue.”
Symptoms include:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Bone spurs
- Tenderness
- Loss of flexibility
- “Grinding” sensation
Inflammatory arthritis, which is commonly associated with autoimmune disorders, is the result of an inflammatory response in the body. Although inflammatory arthritis shares many similarities with osteoarthritis, there are a few key differences.
Some of the main differences between the two types of arthritis include added symptoms of inflammatory arthritis which can include fatigue and joint deformity and having multiple joints affected.
Symptoms include:
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Bone spurs
- Tenderness
- Joint deformity
- Loss of flexibility
- “Grinding” sensation
- More joints are affected (often on both sides)
- Other symptoms commonly associated with autoimmune disorders
How physiotherapy can help:
If you’re suffering from arthritis, physiotherapy is a great way to take control of your life and get back to taking part in the activities you enjoy most. Your physiotherapist will perform an in-depth assessment of your functional abilities, assessing the pain and swelling of the joints as well as range of motion, flexibility and strength.
Together with your physiotherapist, you will be able to create a personalized program to help increase range of motion, flexibility, strength and overall exercise tolerance.
Through a combination of exercise prescription, physical modalities and other pain management techniques, your physiotherapist can help you create a plan to take your quality of life back from arthritis and into your own hands.
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