Arthritis - Synergy Rehab & Wellness

Kick Knee and Hip Pain to the Curb with Physical Therapy

The hips and knees are both very commonly reported areas of discomfort. This pain becomes exceptionally common as people age, due to the “wear and tear” of cartilage in the hips, knees, and lower back. However, people can also experience hip and knee pain from overuse, injury, or underlying conditions, such as arthritis. Some cases may become severe enough that surgery is unavoidable; however, physical therapy has been proven to treat hip and knee pain without the need for pain-relieving drugs or surgery. Contact Synergy Rehab and Wellness today for more information on how our physical therapists can help you overcome your hip and knee pain!

How is hip and knee pain determined?

When you schedule an appointment with a physical therapist, the first thing you can expect is a thorough evaluation. Our physical therapist will examine you to figure out where the painful area is, as well as where the pain is stemming from. For example, sometimes pain can be stemming from the hips but can be felt in the lower back, buttocks, groin, or the front/side of the hips. Additionally, pain stemming from the knees can be felt on the front or back of the knee joint. It can also be felt on the inside of the knee if a trauma occurred, or the outside of the knee if you are experiencing iliotibial band stress.

Hip pain is typically reported as a constant dull ache that doesn’t seem to go away. However, knee pain is a bit different, and is often assessed as one of several different types of pain:

Acute – Acute pain is the most intense type of knee pain. It typically occurs after an injury and will last for about a week. The treatment for acute pain is generally just to simply rest and isolate the affected area, as your body is working hard to heal it.
Subacute – Subacute pain is typically felt two to six weeks after an injury. The affected area will still be painful, but it will not be nearly as severe as the acute pain of the first week. The treatment for subacute knee pain generally consists of gentle motions meant to increase your range of motion and facilitate healing.
Chronic – Chronic pain can be defined as any pain that lasts longer than two or three months. If you’ve been living with serious knee pain for that long, you should consult with your doctor. He or she will most likely suggest performing another full physical exam, in addition to x-rays.

Getting Started With Physical Therapy

As part of your evaluation process, our physical therapist will administer a series of tests that can be used to analyze both hip and knee pain. These include:

Checking range of motion – Our physical therapist will test the limits of your knee or hip, to see how far it will bend. This helps in determining the severity of the trauma and will give our physical therapist an insight on what the course of treatment should be.
Checking strength – Testing the strength of your knee and hip structures will give our physical therapist a better idea on whether your pain is due to an injury or a physical imbalance.
Palpation – Our physical therapist will provide gentle palpation of the knee or hip to figure out where the pain is originating.
Gait analysis – Our physical therapist will assess how you walk to determine if anything is out of the ordinary with your gait.

Your balance may also be checked, and our physical therapist may want to measure how much inflammation is happening around the affected joint(s). Your initial evaluation is usually fairly lengthy, but it provides a great amount of information that your treatment is dependent upon. The results of your evaluation will help our physical therapist prescribe a treatment plan and a course of exercises based on your needs.

Your prescribed exercises will help you strengthen the muscle structures around the knee or hip (or both) that’s bothering you. Our physical therapist will work with you to monitor your progress and make sure you are on track to reaching your end goal. He or she will also encourage and support every achievement you make along the way!

If you’re ready to kick knee and hip pain to the curb, give Synergy Rehab and Wellness a call today and schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists.

Sources:

Surgery Might Not be Your Only Option to Relieve Back Pain. Things to Consider Before Back Surgery

There are few more debilitating conditions than back pain. Ranging from a dull ache to excruciating, back pain can keep you from performing simple daily tasks you once enjoyed. While nearly 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives, the treatments used to alleviate it are varied. Yet many people automatically think surgery is the best option to relieve back pain. Carrying high levels of risk and requiring months of recovery, back surgery is nothing to be undertaken lightly. Fortunately, surgery is not your only option to relieve back pain. Here are a few things to consider.

Physical Therapy for Pain Relief

Many people associate physical therapy with a post-surgical treatment plan. While it does play a vital role in helping patients recover once they have been under the knife, it is also an incredible tool for pain relief. A physical therapist can treat acute pain with manual therapies such as heat, ice, electrical stimulation, and massage. However, what most people don’t realize is that pain relief often requires strengthening the structures around the injury, not just treating the injury itself. If you are experiencing back pain, you may need to strengthen your core muscles in your abdomen and legs to help your back find relief. This process is not a fast one, but a physical therapist can show you exercises that are aimed at relieving your pain.

Physical Therapy for Better Movement

It is important to remember that a physical therapist is an expert in the way the body moves. We have a natural tendency to rest when we are in pain, rather than move. In reality, many people who experience back pain need to learn how to move better. Physical therapy can help you regain lost movement in your back and legs while decreasing your pain levels. A physical therapist can also show you how to prevent further injury in your daily life by teaching you how to bend, lift, stretch, sit, stand, or walk in ways that relieve your back pain.

Physical Therapy Before Surgery

If you are already planning on surgery to help alleviate back pain, you may already have a recovery plan that includes physical therapy. What you may not know is that physical therapy is a great way to prepare for surgery as well. Not only can it improve your cardiovascular function, physical therapy can strengthen the muscles and muscle attachments in areas that will already be weakened by surgery. Even a few sessions with a physical therapist have been shown to reduce postoperative care by more than 25 percent. Since most back surgery procedures require long periods of recovery, the idea of cutting it down by a fourth is appealing.

A physical therapist will evaluate your current condition and pain level. They will consult with your surgeon for more information and any imaging studies that are available. The physical therapist will then create a treatment plan aimed at immediate pain relief and strengthening the body in preparation for surgery. If you will need the use of your arms for balance, the physical therapist will help you strengthen your upper body in preparation. If you need better core strength to hold the structures of your spine in place, the physical therapist will work on strengthening your muscles without causing additional damage.

Whether you are considering surgery or already have a surgical date, call Synergy Rehab and Wellness to schedule a free physical therapy consultation and start experiencing relief.

How to Treat Arthritis Pain Without Medication

What is arthritis?

Arthritis can sometimes serve as a bit of an umbrella term. It is used to describe over 100 different types of joint pain and joint disease experienced by millions of people. It is true that arthritis seems to favor the elderly, as it becomes more apparent in people as they age; however, it is possible for people to experience arthritis in their early middle age.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, it actually has a higher probability of affecting elite male athletes than the rest of the general public. It states that about 30 percent of elite male athletes who engage in contact sports will develop arthritis in the knees and hips, due to the wear and tear that the overexertion has on their joints. They are also more likely to be at risk for arthritis later in life.

What can I do?

A common treatment for arthritis is medication, usually for pain manageability. Your physician may prescribe NSAID pain relievers, corticosteroids, antirheumatic drugs, or antibiotics for your arthritis treatment. Medication is easy – you pop it in your mouth, chase it with water, and your pain subsides shortly afterward. However, they can also cause some unfavorable side effects, and in some cases they can be habit-forming. With NSAIDs, you run the risk of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke. With corticosteroids, you run the risk of cataracts, high blood sugar levels, and bone loss. Luckily, there is a much safer and healthier alternative to treating arthritis: physical therapy.

If you believe you may be experiencing arthritic pain, and you’re looking for relief without the harmful risk of drugs, call our office today. We’ll set you up with a physical therapist who can help you kick the meds and reduce your arthritis symptoms!

The different types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis: This is the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by a reduction in joint cartilage through the “wear and tear” one experiences with age. This process of wearing down cartilage causes bones to rub together, which leads to pain and swelling. Physical therapy can often help to reduce osteoarthritis pain without medication, especially if it is diagnosed as mild-to-moderate.
Inflammatory Arthritis: Also referred to as Rheumatoid Arthritis, this occurs when the body’s immune system attacks joint tissues with intense inflammation. Inflammatory arthritis often has a genetic cause, and doctors usually treat it aggressively with drugs. However, depending on the severity of symptoms, physical therapy may be recommended for treatment as well.
Metabolic Arthritis: The most common type of metabolic arthritis is gout, a condition caused by uric acid crystals building up in the joints of the extremities, especially in the feet. This is typically a result of reduced kidney function. Physical therapy can help gout patients restore range of motion in the affected area, and it can even reduce the buildup of acidic crystals that accumulate in the joints.

How will physical therapy help me?

A physical therapist’s main goal when treating arthritis is reducing stress on the joints, increasing strength, and preserving range of motion. Some benefits to working with a physical therapist include:

Weight control. Your physical therapist will work with you to control your weight through exercise and diet. Controlling your weight helps to prevent added stress on weight-bearing joints.
Proper posture. Posture work will help to reduce stress on your joints.
Stretching/exercise. Light exercises and stretching will help to increase range of motion in the affected areas.
Rest. Your therapist will also recommend a schedule for rest and sleep to complement your exercises. This helps the body to heal and will hopefully reduce your amount of arthritic inflammation and pain.

Every treatment regimen is different based on your body’s needs and your particular type of arthritis. The best way to get started on a natural, safe, and healthy treatment through physical therapy is by calling and scheduling a consultation with one of our physical therapists today. We’ll get you feeling comfortable and pain-free after just a few short sessions! Contact Synergy Rehab & Wellness at our Verona, VA, or Waynesboro, VA location today!

Quick Links

Are You Ready To Live Pain-Free?

Request An Appointment