N E W S L E T T E R
FrankKavaDPTandKristieKavaDScPT
Who Needs Relief from Arthritis?
With osteoarthritis, there is a breakdown in the cartilage covering the ends of bones which form the joint and allow movement. As cartilage wears away, the bones become exposed and rub against each other.The break down of cartilage also affects the shape of the joint so that it no longer functions smoothly. In addition, the ligaments and tendons around the joint become stiff and the muscles that support the joint become weak. This leads to more painful rubbing of the joint surfaces. There are many studies and patient success stories promoting the effectiveness of physical therapy for osteoarthritis. Our expert physical therapists at Oakland Physical Therapy are trained in specialized hands-on therapy for patients suffering with osteoarthritis,obtainingfastpainreliefand improved movement. Inarecentstudy,83patientswithosteoarthritiswere divided to receive either hands-on physical therapy or a sugar pill that actually did nothing to help their pain without them knowing.The group that received hands-on therapy,had therapy to theknee, lowback, hipandankleasrequired.Theythenperformedaknee exerciseprogram in theclinicandathome.Thegroup taking thesugarpillhad just low intensityultrasound, aformofdeepheat, to theproblemarea.Bothgroups were treated at the clinic twice weekly for 4 weeks. Tests were done to measure how well the people
were doing compared to their initial visit, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 1 year later. The results were very impressive showing the patients who had hands-on physical therapy, combined with specific exercises had significant improvements in their pain, mobility and function. By 8 weeks, patients were able to walk further and faster with much less or completely resolved pain. Their jointstiffness,achesandmobilityhad improved by 55% compared to the placebo group who had no treatment. At one year, patients in the treatment groupstill weredoinggreat in termsof lesspain and more mobility. Other benefits included less need for surgery with only 5% of patients in the treatment group having undergone surgery as compared to 20% with the placebo group. In general, if you are suffering from osteoarthritis, especially of the back, hip or knee, physical therapy decreases the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis andmay delay or prevent theneed for more invasive treatments, like injectionsorsurgery. Isn’t it timeyou did something about your arthritis and your pains? Call us today so we can make a positive difference in your life. Source:Annalsof InternalMedicine:February1,2000vol.132no.3 173-181.GailD.Deyle,MPT;NancyE.Henderson,PhD,MPT;Robert L.Matekel,MPT;MichaelG.Ryder,MPT;MatthewB.Garber,MPT; and Stephen C. Allison, PhD, MPT, ECS
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