Arthritis treatment may include Physical or Occupational Therapy. People with arthritis frequently have stiff joints due to their avoidance of movements that aggravate their pain. However, by not moving arthritic joints, the stiffness and pain worsen.
As a result, people with arthritis frequently benefit from physical Therapy. A physical therapist can show you how to stretch out stiffness without causing further damage to your joint. Physical Therapy is also beneficial following an injury, such as a fall, and following joint surgery, particularly for artificial joint replacement.
Occupational Therapy can teach you how to reduce joint strain during everyday activities. Occupational therapists can show you how to change your home and workplace environments to reduce motions that may aggravate arthritis.Â
They may also recommend splints for your hands or wrists and assistive devices to help with tasks like driving, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, and specific work activities.
Occupational Therapy for Arthritis
Whatever type of arthritis you have, it is essential to start taking care of your joints as soon as possible. An occupational therapist, also known as an OT, can teach you how to protect your joints. This does not imply that you should not use your joints; instead, you should use them differently. This reduces aches and pains and allows you to move more freely.
An occupational therapist will assist you in becoming more aware of how you use the aching joints and will work with you to find solutions to the problems you are experiencing. The goal is to assist you in continuing to manage your daily activities for yourself.
Occupational Therapy can assist you whether you are having difficulty at work, at home, or in your leisure activities by providing the following:
- Advice on how to use your joints without putting them under stress.
- splints for joint support while working or resting.
- assistance in selecting tools and equipment to aid in your activities.
- techniques for organizing your activities, pacing yourself, and relaxing.
- exercises to improve hand and wrist strength and mobility, for example.
- If necessary, advice on driving, mobility issues, and home adaptations.
- assistance with work activities.
- Help with fatigue management.
Benefits of Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy improves individual Independence.
This is the most crucial reason why occupational Therapy is beneficial. People want to look after themselves. They want to be able to perform personal tasks like bathing, dressing and using the restroom with as little assistance as possible.
Occupational Therapy is the only Therapy whose primary goal is to improve specific self-care skills. Eating, dressing, toileting, bathing, completing hygiene tasks, getting into the tub, getting on the toilet, and other necessary tasks such as meal preparation are examples of these skills.
Strength and endurance for functional tasks are improved by occupational Therapy.
Although traditional exercise and endurance (or activity tolerance) activities are expected in Therapy, what truly distinguishes Occupational Therapy is the ability to analyze the movement or cognitive requirements of daily tasks and creatively implement activities and exercises designed to build on the individual’s current skills to improve daily Independence.
Creativity in Therapy can improve overall efficacy by providing consistent novel activities that continuously upgrade or increase relative tasks’ physical or cognitive demand. More importantly, it keeps people interested and challenged!
Occupational Therapy Can Help With Functional Cognition and Visual Deficits As Well
Occupational therapists deal with cognition in the context of functional necessity. What cognitive abilities are required to pay bills, place online orders, organize a daily calendar, or return to work? Occupational therapists focus on improving cognition by practicing skills or using activities that require organization, attention, problem-solving, and reasoning.
OTs also address visual processing almost entirely and can provide insight into more enigmatic difficulties following neurological diagnoses. In the clinic, OTs can also address pre-driving skills and conduct driving evaluations (completed by an OT certified to perform driving assessments).
Occupational therapists excel at carer education.
Occupational therapists aren’t just good at training carers; we excel at it! We are experts in assisting individuals and carers in determining how to live life after the change.
The OT will figuratively walk a patient and carers through all aspects of daily life, especially in preparation for leaving an acute care or rehab hospital – how much assistance is required, how to navigate the kitchen and bathroom safely, and what equipment would be beneficial to improve Independence, depending on the individual’s abilities and precautions.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Can Aid in Recovery Following a Traumatic Event
Many injuries or adverse events, such as a stroke or a car accident, can be helped by physical Therapy. A specialist can help you determine which muscle groups require attention and recommend functional exercises that target these areas. This can help patients gain strength, increase flexibility, achieve better health, and sometimes avoid surgery over time.
Physical Therapy can help you avoid aggravating your injury.
Moving incorrectly after a strain, tear, or other trauma may put additional pressure on your wound. A physical therapist will evaluate your injury and teach you which movements are generally safe and which may further aggravate your pain or damage the area.
Physical Therapy Can Help You Improve Your Mobility and Balance
While many people associate physical Therapy with post-traumatic treatment, it can also be used as preventive care. Physical Therapy is frequently provided to elderly patients to help them move around without using walkers or canes, as well as to help them avoid falls, which can result in broken bones and other injuries.
Chronic Pain Can Be Reduced Through Physical Therapy
Whether a patient’s chronic pain is caused by an injury or a disease such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, a physical therapist can assess their situation and develop a plan to help them manage their pain. Indeed, a study of over 88,000 people with musculoskeletal pain discovered that even one session of physical therapy soon after diagnosis could reduce the number of opioids, highly addictive pain relievers, a person took. This can potentially reduce drug dependence and lead to healthier outcomes.
Athletic Performance Can Be Improved With Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy can help people who want to improve their efficiency in their chosen sport and those who are injured. A specialist will determine which muscles to target and which exercises to perform to increase your strength and flexibility, allowing you to score more goals or set a new personal record.Â
Attending physical Therapy regularly can also prepare your muscle groups for the repetitive movements of your sport, lowering your risk of injury.
What Techniques Will I Discover?
You’ll learn a variety of techniques, including:
- Rest: Bed rest can help reduce joint inflammation and pain, and it is especially beneficial when multiple joints are affected, and fatigue is a significant issue. Individual typical rest is helpful when arthritis affects only one or a few joints. Custom splints can be made to rest and support inflamed joints, and a soft collar can support the neck while sitting or standing.
- Thermal Modalities: Local pain can be relieved using ice packs or heating pads and deep heat provided by ultrasound and hot boxes. Heat also helps to reduce muscle spasms around inflamed joints. Warming your joints and muscles with a warm bath or shower before exercising may make it easier to exercise.
- Exercise: Exercise is an essential part of arthritis treatment that works best when done consistently. Your doctor and therapist will devise a treatment plan for you that will evolve as your needs change.
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