Arthritis & Joint Pain
Arthritis means joint pain and stiffness, most often from osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, hands and spine. The right exercise does not wear joints out faster. It is one of the most effective treatments, and it can help you delay joint replacement or prepare for it. LOR Physical Therapy lists arthritis pain among its services in Laguna Niguel.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Both cause stiff, sore joints, but they are different conditions.
Osteoarthritis
The wear-and-tear kind. Joint cartilage thins, and joints in the knee, hip, hand and spine ache and stiffen, especially after rest.
Rheumatoid arthritis
An autoimmune condition that inflames joints, usually on both sides of the body. Your doctor manages the disease, and physical therapy helps you keep moving.
The role of physical therapy
Strength, movement and the right amount of activity protect joints and keep you doing what you enjoy.
Why exercise helps arthritis instead of hurting it
Muscles absorb load that would otherwise land on the joint, and moving a joint keeps it nourished. The key is the right amount at the right time, which is what your physical therapist works out with you: how much, how often and what to change on a flare-up day.
Our Boost anti-gravity treadmill lets people walk and run with part of their body weight lifted, which the practice uses to take impact off the joints.
Arthritis in the part of your body that hurts
Laser therapy, delaying surgery and preparing for it
The practice offers deep tissue laser therapy, and one of the studies it links to is a systematic review on knee osteoarthritis. If a joint replacement is coming, getting stronger first helps your recovery, and we help you afterward: see post-surgical rehab.
More about arthritis from the LOR blog
Questions about arthritis
Why are my joints so stiff?
Stiff joints that ease after you start moving are typical of osteoarthritis, while stiffness that lasts for an hour or more in the morning, in several joints, points to an inflammatory type that needs your doctor.
Can knee arthritis and hip arthritis be helped by physical therapy?
Knee arthritis and hip arthritis both respond to strength and movement work. Strong muscles take load off the joint.
What does “bone on bone” mean?
Bone on bone is a way of saying the cartilage looks thin on an X-ray. How much pain you have does not match the picture, and many people with bone on bone changes improve with the right exercise.
What arthritis exercise is safe?
Arthritis exercise should be regular, low-impact and progressive. Walking, strength work and range of movement are standard, and our Boost treadmill lets you walk with some weight lifted off.
Can I avoid knee replacement?
Physical therapy can help you delay or avoid a knee replacement when the pain responds. If you do need one, being stronger beforehand helps.
Is there rheumatoid arthritis physical therapy?
Rheumatoid arthritis physical therapy keeps joints moving, and protects them on flare-up days. Your doctor manages the disease itself.
Arthritis care in Laguna Niguel, California
LOR Physical Therapy treats arthritis at our Laguna Niguel clinic, 31271 Niguel Road, Suite J, for patients across South Orange County.
Whether your insurance plan needs a referral differs from plan to plan: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit and we will help you find out.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.