Have you had pain in your joints most or all days during the past three months? If you answered yes, then you’re dealing with chronic joint pain, and you’re not the only person who is.
The most common cause of persistent joint pain is arthritis, and it’s reported that 63 million Americans will have been diagnosed with arthritis in 2020. Of these people, about 50% will have persistent or chronic pain. People dealing with joint pain on most days should consider seeking physical therapy. This type of care can be very effective for treating arthritis.
Three reasons you should see a physical therapist for chronic joint pain
Physical therapy can be an effective choice to treat chronic joint pain for many reasons, including:
- Physical therapists are musculoskeletal system experts — The musculoskeletal system includes the joints, and therapy specialists spend years immersed in this important body system. They’re well equipped to help you find techniques that can improve your joint function. One study of aquatic therapy reports that just one session helped patients achieve a 5% improvement in joint function.
- Therapy experts can help reduce your pain — Another reason to meet with a physical therapist is they can help decrease your joint pain. Often, therapeutic exercises are used for this purpose. A study of therapeutic exercise programs reveals that 12 weeks using the program led to a 30% decrease in joint pain.
- Physical therapists can help keep you moving — Moving might seem counterintuitive when you have joint discomfort, but it can actually be very helpful if you do the right movements. Your physical therapist can educate you on how and how much to move so that your pain and joint function improves.
For instance, one study shows that walking can be very effective for knee osteoarthritis patients. This study reports that every 1,000 steps patients walked per day led to a 16% to 18% improvement in knee functional limitation.
Border Therapy Services offers top-notch care for chronic joint pain
Want to try physical therapy for your chronic joint pain? Our Border Therapy Services team is ready to offer you effective therapeutic care for your painful joints. We’ll start by evaluating your arthritic joints. This evaluation lets us learn about your pain and issues that are contributing to it, such as tense muscles. Our physical therapists will then create an individualized therapy plan for you that can decrease your pain and improve your joint function.
Is your pain keeping you stuck at home? That doesn’t mean our team can’t help you! Wwe offer at-home care and virtual therapy sessions that allow you to work with your physical therapist from your home.
Contact us today for more information about how we can assist you with chronic joint pain or to schedule an initial appointment.