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Check out some of these key points from a recently published study:
MORE PATIENTS WITH KNEE AND HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS TAKE MEDICATIONS INSTEAD OF EXERCISE THERAPY. Knee and hip osteoarthritis are common and are extremely prevalent causes of knee and hip pain. Pain medications like acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioids are frequently used to manage pain in these patients. Although exercise therapy, education, and, in some cases, weight loss are recommended as excellent choices to address knee and hip osteoarthritis, many patients aren’t offered this option. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT PHYSICAL THERAPY DECREASES PAIN MEDICATION USE. A study was recently conducted to determine if an exercise program had an impact on the use of pain medications in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis.
Yes!
Patients (16,499 in total) with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis participated in an intervention that consisted of three sessions of patient education and 12 sessions of supervised exercise therapy over six weeks. Patients were also encouraged to become more physically active.
Results showed a significant reduction in the use of all pain medications after these patients completed the intervention. It was also found that overall pain scores improved.
These findings show that an exercise therapy program can substantially reduce the proportion of patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis who use pain medications, as they often switch to lower-risk options. If you are suffering with knee or hip osteoarthritis, talk to your doctor about physical therapy and exercise as an option to help manage your arthritis pain, and call us at (858) 675-1133 or visit WaterPT.com for more information! No
(858) 675-1133 · www.waterpt.com
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