Arthritis - What do you do about it?

Arthritis appears to be the most commonly used word to describe the aging body. Why?

It’s a NORMAL process of aging (no wonder everyone seems to have it on their images – X-ray/MRIs) but having arthritis is not the CAUSE of PAIN! Just like the wrinkles you see on your face and hands, there is normal wear and tear in your joints, too. 

Arthritis has other names too such as: Degenerative Joint Disease, Degenerative Arthritis, and Osteoarthritis.

Actually, there are numerous studies that took MRIs on thousands of people of each age group (20s-80s) of their spine, knees and hips that showed moderate to advanced stages of arthritis but these participants did NOT experience pain... Interesting, huh? So, basically, we cannot conclude that your pain is actually due to the arthritis.

How do we figure it out then? Well, that’s where a good physical therapist comes into the picture. We listen to your history, analyze movement of the entire body, and can determine what muscles are weak or what joints need more movement to help alleviate your pain, naturally. We can determine if your pain is from arthritis or a referral pain (source of pain somewhere else in the body). 

So, before you go buy another bottle of that Tylenol/Advil/Aleve to relieve it, consider seeing a physical therapist that can properly evaluate your body and tailor an exercise program for you to combat your aches and pains. 

Still wondering if it’s arthritis that’s affecting the way you move? Well, there are some criteria that have been suggested that help rule in this condition – if you have: pain in the joint, stiffness >30 minutes that goes away after moving around, crepitus (joint noise with movement), bony enlargement, or are >50 years old.

Meanwhile, please take a look at these fascinating photos of our muscular system that helps support our bones and joints. The strength, flexibility, and coordination of this amazing musculoskeletal system is what keeps our joints healthy and strong!

But really, ALL these muscles work TOGETHER and depend on each other to be strong and mobile! The stronger they are, the more pressure is taken off our joints. Doing functional exercises like squats and deadlifts help make this entire system work well together. 

However, sometimes people need specific muscle strengthening or mobility exercises first before these movements can be tolerated.

​Ask a good physical therapist that will take time to listen to you and evaluate you thoroughly so you can get an individualized program and get moving better again! 

Thank you for reading!

Dr. Adrienne