The Causes and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

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 prolonged 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.

What About Other Types of Arthritis?

While osteoarthritis is the most common type, there are over 100 different types of arthritis, all of which cause pain and inflammation in the joints. Examples include gout, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus.

Fortunately, physical therapy is also highly effective for managing the second most common form of arthritis after OA: rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the joint lining.

Like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes pain and stiffness in the affected joint. Unlike OA, however, it begins in the small joints of the hands and feet before spreading to other joints throughout the body. It can also cause additional symptoms, including fevers and fatigue. Rheumatoid arthritis also has no cure but can be managed with the same techniques used for OA.

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy: A Unique Approach to Managing Arthritis Pain

You don’t need to turn to medication to manage arthritis pain. Although movement can be uncomfortable with arthritis, 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.

We start by evaluating how arthritis impacts you, including performing simple tests to assess your strength, mobility, and balance and learning more about what activities you find limiting. From there, we create a personalized treatment program, starting with acute pain management.

While we offer several pain management options for arthritis, one we want to focus on today is deep tissue laser therapy.

Deep tissue laser therapy is a safe, noninvasive technique for reducing pain and facilitating the body’s natural healing processes. It uses light waves to reduce photons deep into the body’s soft tissues, helping energize cells and boost blood flow to the area.

The result? Less pain and inflammation, making it easier for you to perform the prescribed exercises that can help keep your joints healthy. Many patients also report a gentle warming sensation, allowing them to relax and prepare for their physical therapy sessions.

Rising Sun Physical Therapy’s clinical experience shows that a combination of laser treatment and physical therapy works best, not stand-alone.

How It Works

High Intensity Laser Therapy uses red and near-infrared light to stimulate the body’s natural healing process. This process, called photobiomodulation (PBM), increases circulation to the injured area, which can help reduce pain.

Benefits 

High Intensity Laser Therapy can help with:

• Improving joint flexibility
• Reducing pain and spasms
• Reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis
• Improving peripheral microcirculation
• Detoxifying and eliminating trigger points
• Other conditions treated

High Intensity Laser Therapy is an alternative to prescription drugs, surgery, and invasive treatments.

Effectiveness of High Intensity Laser Therapy for Reduction of Pain 

This study found that high-intensity laser therapy effectively reduced pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. After each procedure, the patients showed immediate improvement, and the pain reduction lasted for three months.

Schedule an Appointment To Learn More

Whether you’re struggling with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, Rising Sun Physical Therapy is here to help! Our team will work closely with you to create a personalized program to manage your symptoms in the long run.

If you’d like to get started, schedule an appointment today!

Request Appointment

How We Can Help You Stay On Your Feet

Have you noticed that you aren’t quite as steady on your feet as you used to be? Do you find yourself avoiding your favorite activities or sticking close to home because you’re worried you might fall? You don’t have to live in fear: Rising Sun Physical Therapy offers dedicated fall prevention services to help restore both balance and confidence!

Getting active is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of falling, and a good fall prevention plan is one that helps you move more. We’ll work with you to identify the areas holding you back from a physically active lifestyle – whether that’s pain, instability, or something else – and address them.

Because we customize every fall prevention plan to suit the patient’s needs, no two plans are alike. However, we’ll generally pull from the following:

• Pain management techniques such as manual therapy or modalities
• Specialized exercises that challenge your balance
• Targeted strength training to improve muscle strength, especially in your core and lower extremities
• Personalized training to improve an impaired walking pattern
• An at-home exercise program to get you moving when you’re not in our clinic