1. •Relieve achy joints
   

2. •Easily get out of bed in the morning
   

3. •Easily bend down and lift
   

4. •Be able to stand and walk for a long time

Many people suffer from the debilitating problems of arthritis.  Arthritis back pain, knee arthritis pain, and pain in your joints are the most common complaints.  Did you know that there is something that can be done about getting your mobility back and having less pain when walking, bending, lifting, or playing your favorite sport?

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition in the body, specifically in the joints of your body.  There are many types of arthritis, but the most common is called osteoarthritis.  There are a few factors to understand about arthritis. First osteoarthritis is an inflammation of the joint caused by wearing down of the cartilage that lines your joints.  Secondly osteoarthritis does have some genetic component.  That is why some people have it worse than others.  Thirdly, what you eat and drink has a direct impact on the inflammation in your body.  If you are overweight, then poor nutrition and the physical weight itself can increase your chances of osteoarthritis. 

When you are young, the cartilage in your joints is springy, smooth, and lubricated making a nice slick surface to absorb the normal shocks of walking and moving.  With injury and age the cartilage wears down becoming rough like sandpaper and in severe cases more like shredded crabmeat.  This causes a lot of debris that is kicked up into the joint.  Your body attacks this debris to eat it up with an inflammatory response. The inflammation causes increased pressure and irritation to the joint causing pain and stiffness.

People complain of many problems from osteoarthritis since it is a basic wear and tear of your joints.  Depending on which joints you have used a lot in your life, you may have more wear and tear.  Arthritis in the back, hips, and legs leads to painful walking, bending, running, and going up or down stairs.   Arthritis in the neck shoulders and upper back leads to painful changes in posture, difficulty turning your head, reaching or lifting with your arms, and other limits in your function.

What can be done to help arthritis?

It is important to understand that there is lot that you can do to help your arthritis pain.  Eating good nutritious foods is a start.  Avoid a lot of preservatives and processed foods.  These generally increase the overall inflammatory responses in your body.  Eating more fruits and vegetables provides your body with the necessary nutrients to rebuild the daily pounding your body takes.  You are what you eat!!  You wouldn’t fill your car with sludge and expect it run well would you?

Next, make sure that you are taking in plenty of water.  Caffeine and sodas act as a diuretic making you eliminate water.  Juices are usually loaded with high fructose corn syrup which is definitely not good for.  Making sure that you are properly hydrated is key to keeping your body healthy.  Try to start with a good 4-6 glasses or more a day.

Exercise is very beneficial to arthritis.  With arthritis, your body becomes stiff and weak in the muscle and connective tissue around your joints.  This is true of most forms of arthritis.  Knowing how to correctly stretch your body and then perform the key strengthening exercises to help your muscle correctly support the joint is critical to your joint health.   Start with non-impact exercises such as swimming and bicycling. 

Why is AIM Physical Therapy so important in helping arthritis?

Physical Therapy is extremely important in helping people recover from the debilitating effects of arthritis.  Physical Therapy helps you to regain lost motion, strength, and coordination that occurs with arthritis, whether it is of your shoulder, back, neck, hips, or knees.  Physical Therapy can help relieve stiffness from poor joint movement, decrease the amount of inflammation, and increase your ability to walk, stand, and do your normal activities with less pain. 

Physical Therapy can not replace your cartilage, but can help your joints improve their mobility, strength, and coordination.  The experts at AIM Physical Therapy have years of training and have helped over a thousand  people with arthritis get back to enjoying their lives.   Call us today to schedule an evaluation or even a complimentary consultation to discuss your problems and how we can help you.  Just remember, that the longer you wait, the more damage is done, and the less time you have to enjoy your activities you love.