Physical Therapy

Written by John Sinatra

Rhumatoid arthritis is an incurable autoimmune disease that affects about 1.2 million Americans, causing severe joint pain and reduced mobility. Along with drug and surgical treatments, physical therapy is also helpful in managing pain and increasing mobility for people suffering from this illness.

Rhumatoid arthritis attacks the synovium, the lining of the joints, causing inflammation. Over time, this inflammation can cause severe pain, the deterioration of the joints and bones and loss of mobility. Physical and occupational therapy can be helpful to people with this illness, as it will help them retain mobility and adjust to their circumstances in a manner that allows them to continue to do many of the things they have always been able to do.

The disease typically impacts the small joints present in the wrists, knees, ankles, feet and fingers. In addition to causing joint and organ inflammation, rhumatoid arthritis can also result in fatigue. The vast majority -- 75 percent -- of rhumatoid arthritis patients are women, and the disease usually strikes between the ages of 20 and 45. Physical and occupational therapy can help rhumatoid arthritis sufferers handle the pain and loss of mobility that is associated with this disease.

Physical therapy is aimed at maintaining the patient's mobility. Your physical therapist will use exercise and other techniques to help stimulate the joints, bones and muscles to increase your strength, muscle tone and overall well-being. Working with a physical therapist can help patients with rhumatoid arthritis during just about any point in the progression of their illness, from the early stages where symptoms are mild to more advanced cases. Beginning work with a physical therapist in the early stages of your illness is highly advisable, as they can help you build strength and muscle tone that will stand you well when the illness becomes more severe.

Early in the progression of your illness, a physical therapist can determine where you stand with regard to strength, function and fitness. The therapist will then draft an exercise plan to help you avoid joint problems later on. In more advanced cases of rhumatoid arthritis, your physical therapist can guide you through activities that will allow you to maintain strength and mobility.

Physical therapy

Physical therapists tend to use the following treatments to help patients with rhumatoid arthritis:

Exercise: Physical therapists will recommend a series of stretching and flexibility exercises, as well as conditioning and strength exercises targeted to help you retain your physical ability and improve your overall fitness. The stretching exercises will most likely require you to stretch and hold different muscle and joint groups for 10 to 30 seconds. The strength exercises will probably have you use weights or other resistance to strengthen your muscles. Aerobic exercises will likely consist of low-impact activities such as using an elliptical machine or walking or swimming. These exercises will improve your cardiovascular fitness and your overall well-being.
Heat and Ice: Your physical therapist will likely ask you to treat inflamed joints with ice packs or a hot water bottle to help relieve your pain. A recent study has found massage therapy to be an effective means of relieving pain and increasing mobility for rhumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Massage: Massage has been found to relieve pain in patients with rhumatoid arthritis. By applying pressure to certain muscle and joint groups, a massage therapist can improve your mobility and relieve pain.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapists provide strategies for maximizing what you can do with the strength and mobility you have. An occupational therapist can help you find ways to make routine household and workplace activities less exhausting and painful to rhumatoid arthritis sufferers. Your occupational therapist can help you analyze your daily activities and see how you can do things more efficiently and with less stress for your joints.

An occupational therapist can also suggest assistive devices to help you with your day-to-day tasks such as cooking, dressing or bathing. Canes and orthopedic shoes for walking, braces and splints for joint support, reachers for picking up objects, specialized pots and pans for easy gripping in the kitchen and a variety of other specialized devices can significantly help rhumatoid arthritis patients as they seek to maintain their independence and quality of life.

As rhumatoid arthritis is a lifelong illness, doing what you can to preserve your mobility and reduce pain is very important to allow you to continue to work and enjoy your life. Physical and occupational therapy can help.With physical and occupational therapy, rhumatoid arthritis sufferers can improve their overall mobility and quality of life.

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Rhumatoid Arthritis