Physiotherapy & Osteopathy for:
Arthritic Pain & Mobility Problems

Unfortunately arthritis seems to be very common in society theses days, we all know somebody who has to put up with this debilitating condition but what is it?

Arthritis is a disorder of a joint of the body. It can be just one that is affected but is often in multiple joints.

There are many kinds of arthritis, but here are the most common that you might have heard of:

Osteoarthritis

This is where there is a break down of the smooth surface of the articular cartilage that covers the ends of our bones resulting in a roughened surface where it was once smooth. It is generally seen as a wear and tear arthritis and can affect large weight baring joints, such as hips and knees, spine and pelvis or smaller joints such as your fingers and toes.

This is a common disease of the elderly but can affect younger people as well.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is an inflammatory condition leading to deformed and painful joints. It is one of the many conditions where the body's immune system starts to attack itself. This arthritis commonly affects the fingers, toes, wrists and ankles and because it's a systemic disease, it usually affects both sides of the body at once.

Inflammation forms in the capsule of a joint which then leads to swelling and a build up of fibrous tissue. There can also be some bone erosion leading to an unstable and painful joint.

There are many other arthritic conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, septic arthritis and gout but the two previously explained, are the most common.

Not sure if you have arthritis? Here are some of the signs and symptoms:

• A feeling of tiredness
• Muscle aches and pains
• Pain and difficulty when moving the joint
• Stiffness in the body (this can be worse in the morning)
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of flexibility
• An inability to walk or use a joint eg; hands and feet

These conditions and many others will most certainly lead to mobility issues.

These mobility and inflammatory issues can be addressed through osteopathy, physiotherapy and acupuncture.

Whenever we suffer from pain and injury there is nearly always going to be a compensatory pattern of pain, leading to restrictions in the musculoskeletal system resulting in the aches and pains that are commonly often experienced.

It is the experienced staff at the Parkview clinic that can help identify these area's and put them right by returning them back to normal function.

So what can the patient do to help themselves?

• Gentle exercise
• Keep hydrated
• Use an ice pack to help with pain and reduce inflammation.
• Medications can be taken to help improve the symptoms of arthritis. (please ask GP before taking any form of medication)

So how can therapy help?

Physiotherapist & Osteopath can use multiple articulating and manipulation techniques to help separate these rather sore and inflamed area, allowing fresh nutrient rich oxygenated blood to circulate and help eliminate waste products from the body along with reducing inflammation build up. Acupuncture also has a very positive effect. Although arthritis can not be reversed, the symptoms and discomfort associated with it can be greatly reduced by manual therapy. (please refer to our website under heading 'services' for a list of all services that we offer)

For more information on arthritic pain & mobility problems, or to book an appointment please call 01737 247 555 or email us at reception@parkviewclinic.co.uk

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