ARTHRITIS REHABILITATION

INTRODUCTION

Physiotherapy Services for Arthritis in Edmonton

A happy welcome to Excelsior Physiotherapy’s online informative resource on Arthritis. Arthritis is one of the major causes of chronic disability. Though there isn’t any permanent cure for Arthritis, with expert care and physiotherapy, you will be able to prevent loss of movement in all body joints. Usually, physicians often refer their patients to occupational therapists and physiotherapists for rehabilitation programs in Edmonton to recover from pain and enhance mobility. At Excelsior Physiotherapy, we offer a customized program for helping to enhance and maintain the mobility and strength of joints. With the guidance of our expert physiotherapists and the aid of special equipment, arthritis will not interfere with living your life and doing those things that you have always loved. Our rehabilitation program for arthritis is a combination of hands-on care coupled with effort and cooperation by patients. Our rehabilitation program comprises exercises, care for inflamed and sore joints, and ways to lower the stress on body joints. For patients dealing initial stages of arthritis, we focus on enhancing the range of motion at your joints and enhancing muscle strength. Our physiotherapist will help in the pain management of the affected joints and help in using special equipment for performing everyday tasks. The rehabilitation experts at Excelsior Physiotherapy know the ways to help you recover after a joint surgery. Our rehabilitation program will help manage the changes in lifestyle, exercise, and symptoms. Other medical professionals and caregivers at Excelsior Physiotherapy also help in taking care of arthritis-affected patients. Our team of rehabilitation nurses, medical social workers, psychologists, speech therapists, recreational therapists, and medical social workers.

What Happens When You Visit Excelsior Physiotherapy for The First Time?

The first step towards your rehabilitation program for arthritis is an initial consultation with our physiotherapist who will be willing to know more about your joint issues.

Medical History

At Excelsior Physiotherapy, our physiotherapist will want to know about your medical history, your everyday life activities, and the symptoms that you experienced first. He might also ask you to rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10. He will also ask you a few questions to know how the symptoms surfaced, which aggravates or calms them down, how it changed your life, and which treatments were advised.

Physical Examination

Soon after you have answered all the questions of Excelsior Physiotherapy physiotherapist, a physical examination will be performed to check the following:

Posture and Joint Alignment

Our physiotherapist will check your overall joint and posture alignment to determine whether you have signs of inflammation and swelling. We would also check for changes in joints like nodules or crystals.

ROM or Range of Motion

The range of motion of your joints would also be checked to help our physiotherapist understand the extent to which you can move the joint in varied directions. So, after treatment, you will be able to determine how much your joints have improved.

Strength

We perform strength testing to determine the level of pain and weakness you experience when holding against the resistance put in by our physiotherapists.

Manual examination

Our physiotherapist will ask you to move the joints in various positions to know the extent of stiffness and damage caused by arthritis.

Palpation

This physical exam is about checking the soft tissues in the sore joints, which is known as palpation. We will also check the variations in skin temperature and inflammation levels at joints. Our physiotherapist will also identify the muscle spasms and tender areas near the joints. The palpation plays a crucial role in deciding the treatment options for arthritis.

Planning Rehabilitation Care

How We Customize Your Rehabilitation Plan?

Excelsior Physiotherapy will create your Physiotherapy Rehab Program based on the information you offer and physical examination results. We ensure that your personalized treatment plan meets your goals and our physiotherapist’s treatment objectives. The rehabilitation plan will have the types of treatment modalities, exercises, an estimate of visits to our clinic, and results to be expected after the program.

Therapy Treatments

Control Over Symptoms

Rehabilitation therapy when combined with doctor treatments and drugs, will help in managing the pain and inflammation in the joints. Our physiotherapist at Excelsior Physiotherapy will recommend the treatment based on your needs and symptoms and might also include the following options:

Enough Rest

Taking rest helps ease the pain and flare-ups caused by arthritis. Taking frequent breaks is important to avoid strain on the affected joint and stay free from pain. Our physiotherapists will create a personalized resting splint for supporting your affected joint when not in use to avoid deformity.

Heat Treatment

Heat causes the expansion of blood vessels and is referred to as vasodilation, which removes toxins and chemicals that cause pain in muscles and joints. Heat therapy like warm showers, heating pads, and hot packs relax and enhance mobility without pain. Warm whirlpools and paraffin baths will also be helpful.

Electrical Stimulation

Passing a gentle electric current through the affected joint skin will help in easing the swelling and pain. It replaces the pain impulses with electrical current impulses to relax muscles and perform activities.

Functional Training and Therapeutic Exercise

These treatments focus on optimizing your physical abilities like overall fitness, strength and movement. It prevents joint stiffness, weakness, and pain and improves range of motion when fighting arthritis.

Stretches

Gentle stretching exercises will help in expanding muscles while making joints retain their mobility and shape.

Strengthening Exercises

Your physiotherapist at Excelsior Physiotherapy will help you perform strengthening workouts to treat your arthritic joints. Isometric workouts will help to tighten your muscles without disturbing the joints and prevent flare-ups.

Stabilization Exercises

Several stabilization exercises can help you maintain well-aligned joints. So, friction due to over- stretching, rubbing, or misalignment is prevented to avoid deformities at the joint.

Pool Therapy

Pool exercises will help in bearing your body weight without causing joint strain. The warm water will soothe the aching joints and swelling by improving circulation.

Aerobic Exercise

These exercises will help keep your body weight under control, as they can protect your joints in the spine, knee, hip, and feet. To keep arthritis under control, make sure you don’t put on excess weight.

Lifestyle Management and Functional Training

We suggest ways to make lifestyle changes and simplify your efforts to go on performing your routine tasks without any strain.

Ergonomics

Based on the extent of your arthritis, our physiotherapist will suggest small changes like chair adjustment or standing or sitting position. Such ergonomic changes will go a long way in helping you sit, stand or walk without pain.

Calming Your Mind

Our physiotherapist at Excelsior Physiotherapy will suggest meditation, breathing exercises, short power naps, and visual imagination to keep your mind relaxed for dealing with arthritis.

Home Program

At Excelsior Physiotherapy, we ensure that your arthritis pain is kept off your joints, flare-ups are controlled, and ROM is enhanced. As soon as the rehabilitation is regulated, your visits to our clinics can be stopped. Make sure that you follow up with us regarding your home rehabilitation program to track your progress. But, it is important to have a bit of responsibility towards achieving your health goals with regular at home exercises. Excelsior Physiotherapy specializes in offering physiotherapy services in Edmonton.