Two arthritis knee pain treatment methods that can help you

About 54 million Americans have arthritis — do you or someone you love suffer from the sometimes crippling effects of arthritis?  Arthritis is one of the most common disabling conditions in the country. Although living with arthritis can make life so much harder, there are treatments for arthritis knee pain that can help improve your quality of life. 

Why do you have arthritis knee pain that needs treatment?

Many people may be wondering why they need arthritis knee pain treatment in the first place. Well, one possible answer is that the body wears out as it ages. There is a type of tissue in your knee called cartilage, and cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones in the knee joint. However, it also gradually wears away over time. This natural wearing is called osteoarthritis, and it can be accelerated by knee injuries and other issues. 

What can help treat arthritis knee pain?

When you have knee pain caused by arthritis, there are many physical therapy techniques that can help treat it. Physical therapy may be one of the most effective treatment options for your pain, and here are two techniques that can be included in your treatment program: 

1.   Joint mobilization

Joint mobilization is a type of manual therapy, and it’s often used to treat arthritis knee pain. This technique is especially helpful for patients who haven’t been moving their knee enough. Although it may seem like a good idea not to move your arthritic knee, it’s really not. The lack of movement can cause knee muscles to tense up, and this can place more stress on the knee and lead to more pain. With joint mobilization, physical therapists guide your knee through various movements with their hands. These movements are intended to improve joint mobility and help reduce pain. 

2.   Graston Technique^®

Other problems with your muscles can also increase your pain. For instance, scar tissue can build up on them and prevent them from moving normally. This can lead to less knee support and increased pain. 

Also called adhesions, scar tissue is the main target of an arthritis knee pain treatment method known as the Graston Technique^®. This method uses specially designed metal tools. The therapist moves the tools over the muscles in the affected area, and the tool and movement combination is intended to help break up adhesions. In turn, this can help knee arthritis patients by allowing the muscle to better support the knee joint. 

Find out about other arthritis knee pain treatment options available at Armor Physical Therapy

Armor Physical Therapy is proud to offer effective arthritis treatment to patients in southwest Michigan. We know that arthritis can make normal daily activities like walking much harder, and our team offers personalized treatment plans designed to help with this and other arthritis issues. Our plans can be individualized so easily because we have many treatment methods at our disposal, such as: 

• Joint mobilization
• Graston Technique
• Electrical stimulation
• Therapeutic exercise

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment if you’re ready to begin reducing your arthritis pain.