Physical therapy can help you treat arthritis pain without the meds

Arthritis medications and pain medicines can cause some nasty side effects. So, if you’re looking for a natural treatment for arthritis, consider meeting with a physical therapist to learn how you can kick the meds and reduce your arthritis pain.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is a catchall term used to describe more than 100 different kinds of joint pain and joint disease. While arthritis is commonly believed to be a condition that afflicts the elderly, the reality is that it can strike people in early middle age or even children. 

Additionally, the most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, and it affects more than 32 million Americans. This is about half of the 63 million people projected to be diagnosed with some type of arthritis in 2020. Osteoarthritis is also referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis. This is because it develops over time as our bodies naturally develop wear and tear from moving around. 

Other common forms of arthritis include: 

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Gout

Why you should look into treating arthritis pain without medications

Although pain medications are often the first line of defense against arthritis pain, the side effects that they can cause should give arthritis patients pause. 

Depending on the type of arthritis that a person has, doctors may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, antirheumatic drugs or antibiotics. All of these carry a risk of side effects, and some can be extremely serious. 

A few of the most common side effects of arthritis pain medications include: 

• Increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks or strokes
• Cataracts
• High blood sugar levels
• Bone loss
• Nausea

Additionally, taking these medications for long periods of time can lead to increases in some types of pain. For instance, rebound headaches can be caused by taking pain medications for more than 15 days per month. 

Armor Physical Therapy offers medication-free treatment options for arthritis

The goals when working with a physical therapist for arthritis treatment will include preserving a good range of motion, increasing strength to reduce stress on the joints and reducing your medication usage. Here are some of the benefits of working with our physical therapists:

• Your physical therapist will work with you to control your weight through exercise and diet. Controlling your weight helps to prevent added stress on weight-bearing joints.
• Posture work will help to reduce stress on your joints.
• Light exercises and stretching can help increase range of motion in the affected areas.
• Your physical therapist may also recommend a schedule for rest and sleep to complement your exercises. This helps the body to heal and hopefully reduce arthritic inflammation and pain.

Every treatment regimen is different based on your body’s needs and your particular type of arthritis. Contact us today for more information about how we can help treat your arthritis or to schedule an initial appointment.