If you have osteoarthritis (OA), you know how joint pain and inflammation complicate your daily life. OA is the most common form of arthritis in the United States and tends to affect load-bearing joints like those in your hips and knees. Since May is Arthritis Awareness Month, it’s a good time to learn more about this debilitating condition.
At South Texas Spinal Clinic, our team has you covered when it comes to OA treatment and management. While there’s no cure for OA, there’s a lot you can do to improve your condition and maintain your mobility. We include physical therapy in many of our patients’ OA treatment plans.
With locations in San Antonio and around South Texas, we make it easier for you to stretch and exercise your way back to fuller joint function. And physical therapy may be only the beginning of your OA management journey.
Here are five major benefits of physical therapy for osteoarthritis — more than enough reason to try this form of treatment.
Osteoarthritis causes damage to the cartilage that eases the motion of your joints. As your bones rub together more and more due to OA damage, inflammation becomes problematic, potentially accelerating the breakdown process.
During physical therapy, we guide you through stretches and exercises that relieve pain and inflammation, slowing the progression of your OA and relieving your symptoms.
OA-related joint damage and deterioration restricts movement and generates a lot of pain. Physical therapy not only delivers direct pain relief, but it reduces your reliance on pain-relief medications that can cause harmful side effects or dependency if overused.
Being overweight or obese worsens OA’s impact. Losing even 5-10% of your body mass significantly decreases OA symptoms’ intensity and frequency. But healthy weight loss is a challenge when dealing with a chronic condition that negatively affects your joints.
Physical therapy helps you get active in a supported, therapeutic environment, promoting healthy weight loss while not over-stressing your body or worsening your OA symptoms.
If OA-related damage to your joints becomes severe enough, you may need a surgical joint replacement to maintain mobility and reduce your pain levels sufficiently. Surgery, while effective, is a major, invasive treatment. With physical therapy, you may be able to delay or even completely avoid a need for surgical OA treatment.
Physical therapy and OA management techniques and treatments enable you to reclaim a fuller quality of life, follow through on plans, and sacrifice less time devoted to pain control and recovery.
To learn more about how physical therapy could benefit your OA, contact the South Texas Spinal Clinic team today. Schedule your initial consultation appointment online or over the phone now.
