1. Take Care of Your Joints
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that covers the end of a bone wears away. This makes bone rub on bone, causing pain. Pieces of cartilage or bone can also float around in the joint and cause irritation. This damage to the joint not only cases pain but stiffness as well, and these symptoms can make everyday activities more challenging. While there is no one single cause for developing osteoarthritis, there are several lifestyle choices and habits that you can change to help manage your symptoms.
Taking care of your joints involves refraining from motions that are repetitive. For example, if you have osteoarthritis in your knee, riding a bicycle may not be the best choice as the knee is bending repetitively. Doing activities such as walking or swimming may be better choices.
You can also take care of your joints by bracing them. Using elastic bandages or braces for your joints can help rest painful joints, allowing you to continue on with your activities. You do need to be careful to not overuse braces, because when you use them they also give your muscles a rest. This means your muscles can become weak and deconditioned, which can actually lead to additional joint pain. Before deciding to use a brace, check with your physical therapist to determine what type of brace is best and how often to use it.
Physical therapy can also offer options like paraffin treatments that use hot wax to relax the joints, ultrasound and other therapies to help ease osteoarthritis symptoms.
2. Exercise to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is critical for managing osteoarthritis symptoms. Carrying extra weight only places additional stress on arthritic joints. Having osteoarthritis can often make most types of exercise too painful, so consult your physical therapist, who is specially trained to diagnose and treat your condition. Since osteoarthritis affects each person differently it is important to meet one-on-one with a therapist who can address your specific needs and concerns. A therapist can show you how to modify typical movements done in exercise classes and how to correctly adjust machines found in gyms to avoid injuring the joints further.
3. Correct Body Mechanics and Posture
We all have bad habits, but unfortunately these choices can be our downfall. If you have osteoarthritis you may need to find different ways of doing things to place less stress on your joints. You may find tasks such as showering or dressing more challenging. Physical therapy can educate you on devices that make life easier. There are long handled sponges that make bathing easier, and devices to help you roll in and out of bed more easily. Shelving that rolls in and out or drops down can help make your kitchen more easy to navigate, and you can make changes to your clothing to make dressing less challenging. Working one-on-one with a therapist will help you examine your everyday activities and find solutions to make tasks more manageable.
