Does your day always start with pain and stiffness in the joints? Then you may just have osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder that unfortunately does not go away. But of course, that doesn't mean we can't help you with the stiffness and pain! Physiotherapy FriskFysio is happy to help you reduce your symptoms. In our new blog, we tell you more about osteoarthritis and how physiotherapy can support.
At 2020 there were over 1.5 million people known to GPs with osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis occurred in almost half of the cases, making it the most common form of osteoarthritis. The joint disorder is more common in women than in men.
What is osteoarthritis and how does it occur?
If you suffer from osteoarthritis, the quality and amount of cartilage in your joints are reduced. Often, there is also reduced muscle function in the joint. These conditions make the joint less flexible and less able to absorb the shocks of movement. This causes the pain and stiffness characteristic of osteoarthritis. The symptoms are often experienced in the morning and after sitting still for a long time.
Although getting older is often the biggest culprit, there are other conditions that can lead to osteoarthritis. These include:
- Overweight/obesity
- Overuse of joints due to heavy work
- Trauma to the joint caused by sports
- Surgery on the joint
The pain and stiffness you experience will often deter you from moving more. But more exercise can actually help reduce your symptoms. For example, it helps strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments around your joints. Movement also releases extra joint fluid. The fluid functions as a 'lubricant' for the joints, so to speak, and thus helps to make movement smoother.
How can our physiotherapist help?
Our physiotherapists first look with you at your complaint, your request for help and what you would like to achieve. It is important that we get a good picture of this first, so that we can draw up a treatment plan together. This plan can consist of one type of treatment or a combination of different treatments. We are happy to explain them to you below.
Information and advice
Our physiotherapists can give you a lot of information about coping with osteoarthritis and advise you on how best to do so. The importance of exercise and healthy living is emphasised in this advice. You will also receive tips on how to prevent symptoms.
Exercise therapy
Together with our physiotherapist, you will work on a number of exercises. These exercises will help you achieve your goal and return to good function in your daily life. The exercises focus on improving your fitness and strengthening the muscles around the painful joint.
After our physiotherapist has taught you the right exercises, it is important that you also perform these exercises at home, preferably daily. Even when your treatment programme with us is finished, we advise you to continue with the exercises. If you stop, the symptoms may return.
Reducing your weight
If you are overweight, losing weight is important for your osteoarthritis symptoms. Being overweight can actually worsen your pain symptoms, as more weight presses on the joint. Especially in knee and hip osteoarthritis, this plays a big role. The exercises you do with our physiotherapist and the extra exercise we encourage contribute to a higher fat burning rate. If this still does not help you lose weight (enough), we can enlist the help of a third party, such as a dietician. He or she can support you in putting together a proper nutrition plan to achieve your goals.
Referral back to a doctor
If it turns out that your symptoms have not reduced much, if at all, after the treatments, your physiotherapist may refer you back to your doctor. In some cases, painkillers may help, especially if there is also inflammation in the joint. If you do not feel any improvement after a long course of treatment, it may even be desirable to replace the joint with a prosthesis. If this proves necessary, you can start a rehabilitation programme with us after surgery and then rejoin your treatment plan.
Would you like our help with your osteoarthritis symptoms?
Then make a quick appointment with one of our physiotherapists by calling 085-5000333 or emailing info@friskfysio.nl. You can also visit the contact form on our website.
