FEBRUARY 2019
NEWSLETTER
CONTINUE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE FREE OF PAIN!
OVERCOMING ARTHRITIS PAIN
(Continued from outside) Arthritis pain is different. Arthritis doesn’t develop as a result of an injury, but insteaddevelopsovertimeasaresultofchronicuse,orevenasaresultofgenetic disposition. This can make dealing with the pain of arthritis even more difficult to cope with, as it begs the question: if the pain is coming from inside the joint, is there anything I can actually do about it? Understanding Arthritis Pain Osteoarthritis is themostcommonchroniccondition toaffect the joints.Almost 30 million adults in the United States struggle with the condition, and while it can influence anyone of any age, it most frequently develops among those who are most prone to overuse—those who are over the age of 65. Arthritis occurs when there is a breakdown of the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones.This cartilage is what allows the joints in the elbows, ankles, knees and hips to move with freedom. Without cartilage, the bones would rub against oneanotherwitheachmovement,andwouldcauseextremepain.Asthecartilage breaksdown,so, typically,does thebone,andas theshapeof the jointchanges it becomesevenmoredifficultfor ittofunctionsmoothly.Furthermore,the ligaments and tendons around the joint will often stiffen, and the muscles surrounding the joint will weaken, making it altogether more difficult and painful to move. While arthritis pain typically develops gradually, the realization of what you are dealingwithcanstillcomeasashock. Insomecircumstancesthepainwillappear more abruptly, especially when the pain develops in association with a change in weather or other environmental circumstance. After years of practicing poor posture, your back, shoulder and neck muscles will likely find standing or sitting
with straight posture to be uncomfortable. This is because your muscles have grown accustomed to the slouching, and standing up straight will require some thorough stretching.That doesn’t mean that once you have bad posture you can never correct it. Overcoming Arthritis Pain Turning to over the counter pain medications to cope with arthritis pain is ineffective as a long-term solution. While some of the medications may provide temporary relief, they will not help you overcome the pain for good. Physical therapy, on the other hand, can provide actual relief from arthritis by helping to rebuild strength in the joints through targeted movements and flexibility exercises. There is a lot of current research trying to understand what precisely causes arthritis todevelop insomepeople,andnot inothers.Everyoneuses their joints every day, and while it makes sense that so much pressure would cause pain to develop over time, it doesn’t explain why the pain develops when and where it does, and why it happens to some people and not to others. Anti-inflammation and Arthritis One leading form of arthritis treatment is with the use of anti-inflammatory medication. Certain types of arthritis develop as a result of a build-up of inflammation in the body. Specifically, the tendons and ligaments become inflamed as a result of an internal attack from the immune system, which is typically triggered by some combination of environmental factors. Avoiding certain foodsandmovementscan reduce inflammation,and thereby reducepain.
WWW.MYFIRSTCHOICEPT.COM
Made with FlippingBook Annual report