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Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain

MANDEVILLE 985.323.6157 • METAIRIE 504.229.5806 • CPTNOLA.COM

NEWSLETTER

MANDEVILLE 985.323.6157 • METAIRIE 504.229.5806 • CPTNOLA.COM

Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain Are you experiencing persistent joint pain, particularly in a weight-bearing joint like your hip or knee? Do you ever notice a clicking or grinding sensation in your painful joint? If so, you may have developed osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in the United States. UNDERSTANDING OSTEOARTHRITIS: SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the affected joint. These symptoms often manifest in the following ways: • Pain during activity but not while at rest • Pain when you press on the joint • Joint stiffness first thing in the morning • Joint stiffness after sitting or lying down for long periods • Noises in the joint, including creaking, cracking, or crunching While any joint can develop osteoarthritis, it most commonly occurs in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips. However, it’s also fairly common in the hands, spine, and feet. The causes of osteoarthritis are complex, and several factors can contribute to it. One of these factors is age: approximately 73% of people with the condition are 55 years or older. That’s not to say osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of the aging process — plenty of older people don’t have it. But your chances of developing it do increase as you age. Other possible factors contributing to osteoarthritis include past injuries to the joint, gender (women are more likely to develop it than men), body weight, and even genetic predispositions.

Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation and lead to pain and restricted mobility. The source of that inflammation will vary depending on the type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of the cartilage and bone tissue in the affected joint. Osteoarthritis has no cure and can profoundly impact your overall quality of life, making it harder for you to stay active, keep up with chores, and enjoy time with your loved ones. Fortunately, physical therapy at Comprehensive Physical Therapy offers several tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms — often enough that you can delay or even avoid surgical interventions. If you’re tired of living with osteoarthritis pain, call us to schedule an appointment today!

HOW WE HELP MANAGE OSTEOARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS

• Develop An At-Home Exercise Program: You’ll supplement your sessions in our clinic with a personalized home workout program to ensure you keep moving! We’ll find something that suits your abilities and interests, such as a walking program or water aerobics. • Provide Strategies for Activity Modifications: Finally, we can help you identify and avoid any specific activities that might put too much strain on your joints. If needed, we can also show you how to use mobility aids (such as canes or walkers). DON’T LET OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN HOLD YOU BACK! We know that living with osteoarthritis can be difficult, but the physical therapists at Comprehensive Physical Therapy are here to help you manage your condition and live your life to the fullest. With customized treatment plans, targeted exercise programs, and acute pain management techniques, physical therapy can help you take control of osteoarthritis pain. Ready to get started? Call us to schedule your initial consultation today! Sources:https://arthritis.ca/living-well/2020/top-10-arthritis-exercises https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical- therapy-guide-osteoarthritis, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/osteoarthritis, https://www.arthritis. org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/getting-started/benefits-of-exercise-for-osteoarthritis

The good news is that you can control osteoarthritis symptoms with the help of physical therapy. Although movement can be painful with osteoarthritis, exercise is one of the best drug-free ways to manage the condition. Our physical therapists will help you find an exercise program that suits your needs. HERE’S HOW WE’LL DO IT: • Comprehensive Evaluation: We start by evaluating how osteoarthritis impacts you, including performing simple tests to assess your strength, mobility, and/or balance. We’ll also ask you about the ways that osteoarthritis is negatively affecting your life. For example, which activities do you find challenging? • Provide Pain Relief: We’ll use manual therapy techniques to help manage your pain and get the joint moving in a gentle way. For example, we might guide the joint through its current range of motion or manipulate the surrounding soft tissue. • Build Strength and Restore Mobility: We’ll develop a customized, progressive exercise program to rebuild lost strength and mobility in the affected joint. Building strength, in particular, can help support and protect the joint so you can move more easily.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: MEG THOMASON, PT Meg Thomason is a licensed physical therapist with over 21 years of experience in treating various orthopedic and neurological conditions. She has a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Louisiana State University, where she was also a four-year letter winner on the volleyball team. She is certified in functional evaluation, vestibular therapy, and LSVT/ BIG, a specialized program for people with Parkinson’s disease. She is also trained in the Graston technique, a form of soft tissue mobilization that can help with pain and mobility. Meg is passionate about helping her patients achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. Whether you have an injury, surgery, a balance problem, or a movement disorder, Meg can provide you with personalized and effective care. Contact her today to schedule an appointment and start your journey to wellness.

MANDEVILLE 985.323.6157 • METAIRIE 504.229.5806 • CPTNOLA.COM

3 SIMPLE MOVEMENTS TO HELP ALLEVIATE OA PAIN

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: ANGELIQUE’S CROCKPOT CHICKEN & VEGGIES

If you have osteoarthritis, it’s important to stay active to help keep your joints healthy. While our physical therapists can help you develop a suitable exercise program, you can also incorporate movement in small ways throughout the day. These simple exercises will help mobilize your joints, and you can easily do them at home. Of course, check with your PT before

starting anything new! ANKLE CIRCLES

INGREDIENTS: • 4-6 Chicken breasts • 2 sticks of butter • 2-3 tablespoons of Minced garlic • Tony’s, garlic powder, onion powder to taste • 4 russet potatoes

• While sitting in a chair, stretch your feet out in front of you, keeping them neutral (neither pointed or flexed). Gently tilt both feet in one direction, then repeat in the other. KNEE RAISES • Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight and your feet planted on the floor. Slowly lift your knee as high as possible without bending your back, guiding it up with your hands if necessary. Then, making sure to keep your core tight, gently lower your foot back to the floor. Repeat on the other side. OVERHEAD SHOULDER STRETCHES • You can do this exercise sitting or standing. Hold your arms at your side, your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and your thumbs pointed toward your shoulders. Then, stretch your arms straight overhead and slowly lower back down. If lifting both arms is too difficult, lift them one at a time. You can guide your arm up under the elbow if necessary. Looking for more simple arthritis stretches? Call Comprehensive Physical Therapy for an appointment today!

• 1 small bag of baby carrots • 1 large onion • 1 large green bell pepper • 1 small container of sliced mushrooms • 1 container of chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS: In a crock pot, lay chicken in the bottom and season both sides to taste, then slice half a stick of butter and lay it on top of the chicken. Cube the potatoes, and slice the onion and bell pepper. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic, season to taste, and mix well. Layer all the vegetables on top of the chicken in 2–3 layers, adding slices of butter (about ½ a stick per layer) between each vegetable layer. Pour a box of chicken broth over everything, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4–6 hours. Serve over rice if desired. You can use any vegetables of your choosing.

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YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE IN PAIN

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