Abbey Physiotherapy
Quality care from the people who care
Types of Arthritis
Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis(Degenerative arthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis)
- Hands
- Feet
- Ankles
- Arthritic Knees
- Hip Joint
- Shoulders
- Wear and tear of a joint from overuse
- Age
- Injuries
- Autoimmune disorders
- Genes or family history
- Muscle weakness
Physiotherapy treatment for different types of Arthritis
The main aims and medical advice of physiotherapy as an arthritis treatment are to keep you moving, by reducing joint stiffness, helping with aches and debilitating pains, improving joint range of movement, reducing inflammation and keeping your muscles strong. Exercise is beneficial as the hormones (endorphins) released when we exercise make us feel good. Exercising is also great for weight management, by keeping our weight down we reduce the stress on our joints. pain is a major symptom of this condition. Your physiotherapist will advise suitable exercises and treatments depending on the type of arthritis.
There are various inflamed joints that point to common types of arthritis that affect joints in the body. The main ones are: Osteoarthritis (Osteoarthritis is a disease that damages the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Which is when bones rub together.) ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune arthritis) which is an autoimmune disease which causes swollen joints, Psoriatic arthritis with different physiotherapy treatments available. Many people look for arthritis causes due to the fact that they are living with the long term effects of arthritis, never knowing when it is next going to flare and suffer from sore aching pains, aches of a high severity and morning stiffness. joint arthritis which can have a large effect on their day to day health. Arthritis affects many different parts of the body, it affects much more than just the joints. The chronic rheumatic disease that affects joints and connective joints tissues is a systemic disease, meaning it can affect many parts of the musculoskeletal body such as joint fluid
The pain and swelling arthritis bring depends upon the disease type This can vary depending upon the symptoms that you have and the treatment offered causing painful joints
Many arthritis types can lead to joint deformity, stiffness, pain and swelling.
Physiotherapy treatments may include manual therapy, exercise rehabilitation, acupuncture, TENS and lifestyle advice to reduce the disease pain.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease is the most common arthritis in the UK and affects over a million people, caused by wear and tear. Osteo causes discomfort and your joints to become painful and stiff, normally developing over time and can affect different joints, most frequently seen in the hands, hips, feet and spine. Osteoarthritis is normally associated with the ageing process but it can occur earlier in some individuals. There are some inherited and lifestyle factors that can affect how early or late you may develop the symptoms
With Osteoarthritis there are changes in joint surface cartilage, the underlying bone thickens and broadens to reduce the load on the cartilage, bony growths form at the outer edges of the joint giving the appearance of a knobbly joint, the synovial membrane and joint capsule thicken, reducing the space inside the joint, this leads to a stiff joint, joint pain and inflammation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that can affect a number of joints in the body leading to pain. Usually, the articular surface (lining) and synovium (fluid filled sac coving the joints surface). It is an autoimmune chronic progressive disease-causing inflammation that affects the joints and tendons. It is also a systemic disease meaning that it doesn't just affect the body's joints, the progressive autoimmune disease causes signs like joint pain and joint swelling in the wrist, elbow, ankle, feet and hands, but can affect many other joints in the body.
With RA, the immune system becomes too active and attacks the synovial lining of your joints, this causes inflammation and tends to affect the body symmetrically. It tends to affect the small joints in hands and feet first, often the knuckle joints in the fingers.
If Rheumatoid arthritis is not treated or is inadequately treated, it can cause irreversible damage to joints and lead to disability. The sooner RA is diagnosed and treated, the better the long-term outcomes are likely to be.
Psoriatic Arthritis.
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of your body, including your knees, ankles, hands and feet, and can range from relatively mild to severe and almost 1 in 3 people with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis
Ankylosing Spondylitis
The symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) usually develop slowly over several months or years. The symptoms may come and go, and improve or get worse, over many years. The main symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are Back pain and stiffness, inflammation of the joints, Enthesitis and Fatigue.
Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) – lupus – is a long-term autoimmune disorder causing inflammation to the joints, skin and other organs. This condition can result in joint pain and stiffness, extreme tiredness that will not go away no matter how much you rest, skin rashes – often over the nose and cheeks.
Gout
a type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the body. This can be left in joints (usually affecting the big toe), but can develop in any joint. It causes intense pain, redness and swelling. Symptoms can be sudden severe pain in any joint – usually the big toe, or fingers, wrists, elbows or knees, red, hot, swollen skin over the commonly affected joint.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia causes pain in the body's muscles, ligaments and tendons. Patients suffering from this may have an increased sensitivity to pain, extreme tiredness (fatigue), muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping. Exercise, in particular, has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fibromyalgia, including helping to reduce arthritis pain.
Arthritis research has identified that physiotherapy is an important part of treatment for most people with treating arthritis allowing therapy to relieve arthritic pain. Our Abbey Physiotherapists will help you to resume or maintain an active and independent life both at home and at work to reduce joint inflammation. They’re experts in assessing movement and can show you how to protect your joints, offering help and reassurance to allow you to feel confident in managing your arthritis condition, during your session they will address any concerns or uncertainties setting appropriate goals keeping you as active as possible. Our physio will start by asking you questions and examining the joint(s) you’re finding painful. This comprehensive assessment will let them tailor the physiotherapy treatment for your arthritis to your needs. Your Abbey Physiotherapist will give you information regarding how to recognise and manage a flare, offer advice on how to modify activities in order to protect the joints and make suggestions on when to rest and when to exercise. Fatigue management and pain relief will also be considered, and recommendations for non-drug treatment.
Physical therapy can help manipulate damaged joints to make them more mobile — and therefore help you to become more active. Joint pain caused by arthritis can be treated with more than just medication.
These therapies may involve Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, TENS therapy or Massage.
Physiotherapy cannot be used as a cure for arthritis as there is no cure for arthritis, however, physiotherapy can be used to help reduce the symptoms of arthritis and prevent it from getting worse.
Here at Abbey Physiotherapy, we can assist and recommend certain forms of exercise which can help to manage some of the symptoms of arthritis. Our trained Physios can provide advice, guidance and education on an exercise routine, methods of pain relief and ways to manage your condition. They can teach you how to improve your joint movement and your walking, as well as how to strengthen your muscles, teaching and encouraging safe stretching and strengthening exercises; to increase movement and strength, allowing better function
Reactive arthritis is joint pain and swelling triggered by an infection in another part of your body — most often your intestines, genitals or urinary tract. Reactive arthritis usually targets your knees and the joints of your ankles and feet. Inflammation also can affect your eyes, skin and urethra.
TENS units, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, can help to control arthritis pain without the use of additional drugs as well as reduce the amount of medication and related side effects. If your arthritic pain is confined to a single region, a TENS unit may help reduce your pain Over time, this can help retrain damaged nerves, resulting in tremendous rehabilitative effects. Using a TENS machine also naturally enhances the flow of endorphins to the brain.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis (Degenerative arthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis)
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As there are many forms of arthritis there is also a wide range of arthritis symptoms you should be looking out for things like pain stiffness and swelling
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joint tenderness or rheumatic pain during movement or while at rest
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Early morning joint stiffness, a decrease in the range of motion with worst symptoms in the morning
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Rheumatoid cachexia refers to the loss of muscle mass and strength due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It's often called muscle wasting.
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Generally feeling unwell, sometimes with an associated redness around the joint of the skin
Physiotherapy Treatment of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis (Degenerative arthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis)
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Joint mobilisation is a hands-on treatment usually done at a slow speed, with or without oscillations or a stretch in an attempt to increase the patients range of motion.
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it’s now believed that inflammation of the fascia are involved in causing the stiffness and achiness people with rheumatoid arthritis feel. it helps to stretch your body and exercise regularly, to keep your muscles strong and prevent your tendons and fascia from stiffening. In fact, stretching the low back can decrease inflammation and chronic pain sensitivity in inflamed connective tissue in the low back.
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The idea behind Ttping is to facilitate the body’s healing process while supporting and stabilizing muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion
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Myofascial release is often used in massage, or it can be self-administered with a foam roller. “It can help you maintain laxity, which prevents tightening of the loose connective tissue, made of densely packed protein fibres, that surrounds your muscles, bones, organs, and other body parts
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When suffering with arthritis the last thing that you may feel like doing is going out for a walk or swimming a few lengths, however moderate exercise can help ease your pain and assist with weight management, it is critical for people suffering with arthritis, it increases strength and flexibility, reducing joint pain and helping to combat the fatigue.
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TENS sends soothing pulses via TENS electrodes through the skin and along the nerve fibres. The pulses suppress the arthritis pain signals to the brain. TENS also encourages the body to produce higher levels of its own natural pain-killing chemicals opioids, endorphins, and enkephalins.
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One well-researched effect of acupuncture is reducing inflammation throughout the body. Acupuncture stimulates chemicals that reduce swelling and quiet unwanted immune responses and allergic reactions, recommended for treatment of hand, knee, and hip pain
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Keep Moving, RA symptoms are generally at their worst when you're not moving, such as first thing in the morning or after prolonged sitting and make sure you take time to rest and relax. Range of motion exercises which help maintain or improve flexibility in joints and the surrounding muscles. Strength training, which builds muscle and tendon strength to stabilise and support joints can also help.
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Get In Touch
If you think we can help you, why not contact us to enquire further or make an appointment. You can contact us by calling 024 7628 1133 or emailing us
You can also book an appointment by calling 024 7628 1133
or using the Book Online feature via our website. Or Why Not Get In TouchContact us at Abbey Physiotherapy, if you would like any support with the management of your condition.
Sports massage is a firm deep tissue massage therapy which is the most effective therapy for treating muscular pain, tension and for putting your body in balance
Sports Massage
Joint mobilisation techniques focus on attaining a normal range of pain-free joint motion.
Mobilisations
Our Acupuncture Clinic treatment aids tissue healing and based on scientific evidence that shows the treatment can stimulate nerves under the skin and in muscle tissue to allow the body to produce pain-relieving substances
Acupuncture Clinic
TENS is an abbreviation of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A Tens machine may assist in modest short-term pain relief. Ultrasound aids tissue healing for soft tissue injuries
Electrotherapy
the use of taping and strapping techniques to aid both the treatment and prevention of injury
Sports taping
Rehabilitation is the process to regain full function following injury. This involves restoring strength, flexibility, endurance and power and is achieved through various exercises and drills
Exercise Rehabilitation
An exercise programme that aims to improve stabilisation and support to the spine. This is achieved by re-training specific trunk muscles, which may be under used
Core Strength
Treatment for a sports injury will depend on factors such as how severe the injury is and the part of your body affected.
Sports Injuries
Upper back and neck pain can stop you in your tracks, making it difficult to go about your typical day.
Back Pain
The most common soft tissues injured are muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries often occur during sports and exercise activities, but sometimes simple everyday activities can cause an injury.
Strains and Sprains
A fracture is when a bone has been broken. A dislocation is where a bone has been displaced from its normal position at a joint.
Fractures
Whiplash is a term that describes a neck injury caused by a sudden movement of the head forwards, backwards or sideways
Whiplash Symptoms
A Headache is a pain in any region of the head. Headaches can occur on one or both sides of the head, or be isolated to a certain location. A headache may be a sharp pain, throbbing sensation or dull ache
Headachesis a pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg, caused by compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back, often owing to degeneration of an inter-vertebral disc.
SciaticaArthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age
Arthritis
a condition in which the prolonged performance of repetitive actions, typically with the hands, causes pain or impairment of function in the tendons and muscles involved
RSI
pre-operative interventions for hip and knee osteoarthritis awaiting joint replacement surgery.
Pre and Post Op