Arthritis, Osteopenia & Osteoporosis

Our movement specialists help people with arthritis to regain independence and control of their daily lives by reducing, restoring range of motion, and increasing endurance. We cannot make arthritis go away, but the pain that people feel from arthritis can be lessened by keeping the joint lubricated, so you have to move the joint. Movement in the joints distributes the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints. The problem with arthritis is that if you move the joint too far, you get pain from bone to bone contact and if you move the joint too little, you get pain from inadequate distribution of the lubricating fluids. So movement therapy can help the arthritic patient to learn where the comfortable range of motion is to keep the joint lubricated.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are degenerative conditions of the bones that often result in decreased mobility (osteopenia is generally considered the first step along the road to osteoporosis, a serious condition in which bone density is extremely low and bones are porous and prone to shatter). Our physical therapy specialists will develop an individualized plan of weight-bearing exercises to slow down deterioration of the bones in the legs, hips, and spine and, in many cases, can actually rebuild bone density. This tailored exercise plan is designed to restore freedom of movement, improve endurance, and reinstate independence during daily living activities.

We offer a full range of treatment modalities for arthritis sufferers designed to return motion and function to affected joints and reduce pain. Key ingredients of a treatment program for a client with arthritis include electric stimulation, massage, paraffin wax treatments, and fluidotherapy. Often when a patient has inflammation of the joints, the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons become a secondary source of pain. Warm water therapy and Burdenko aquatic therapy are beneficial treatment modalities for many arthritic conditions. The warm water relaxes muscle groups connected to inflamed joints while the buoyancy of the water allows patients to regain freedom of motion while literally taking the weight off their joints.

Exercise is an important part of treatment plans for clients with arthritis. Typically as arthritis progresses, clients will reduce their level of activity leading to an overall loss of muscle tone and flexibility. Tai Chi from the Arthritis Foundation is a special program developed to improve strength, balance, flexibility, stamina, and fitness.

Functional mobility training may be a necessary part of rehabilitation to reeducate a body that has been inactive for prolonged periods. Mobility training may include instruction in the use of walkers, canes, or crutches. Proprioception therapy, strengthening, stretching, and endurance training are also important parts of the recovery process for clients with arthritis.