Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Some of the common arthritic symptoms are joint pain, stiffness, warmth, immobilization, and loss of range of motion, fatigue, and inadequate blood flow. Two of the main types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). With Osteoarthritis, poor movement mechanics and abnormal stress causes progressive deterioration of the joint. Injury or infection usually causes Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own lining of the joints and membranes; this results in painful swelling and inflammation.
When arthritis affects the neck, back, hands, feet, or hips, difficulties arise when trying to get through even the most menial daily tasks. The surrounding muscles begin to tighten and become irritated as they try to overcompensate for the pain and protect the injured area. These tight muscles can create tension headaches and limit range of motion. Most people may find that there is little to no relief with over the counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen, and countless people are trying to avoid addictive narcotics such as opioids.
Physical therapists are trained to administer flexibility and strengthening tactics along with normalizing body mechanics in order to make movement less painful. With ongoing therapy, most people see remarkable outcomes and lasting results, often alleviating pain. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) also launched new guidelines recently, recommending the use of physical therapy for chronic pain over painkillers like opioids.
Although pain medications disrupt the signals to the brain and mask the discomfort temporarily, if the underlying issues are not dealt with in a more synergistic approach through physical therapy, the chronic pain and musculoskeletal issues will still linger. Anti-inflammatory medications also do not address the origin of the problem. PT addresses the actual complications and disorders associated with pain and discomfort. Physical therapists are also trained to identify the source of the inflammation and to normalize movement patterns to significantly improve if not eliminate pain. The combined therapies of PT and ones such as massage or natural pain medications are proven to be the most beneficial for long term regeneration and healing. When physical therapy is performed on a relaxed, less painful body, the overall treatment penetrates deeper into the muscles, and the joints are less inflamed. This synergistic approach is much more beneficial to the patient’s pain relief and improved condition.
Palm Coast PT – Palm Coast PT’s personalized, approach is a big key to their success at creating lasting patient and physician relationships. They offer one-on-one patient care and develop treatment programs based on each individual’s needs. Their two Doctors of Physical Therapy solely provide treatment. They not only focus specifically on the patient’s treatment diagnosis but also on the body as a whole, giving patients high-
quality outcomes with fewer therapy visits required. They believe in clinical excellence with a strong focus on continuing education and manual therapy. They have extensive training in manual therapy, vestibular rehabilitation, and neuromuscular re-education, giving them a solid foundation to treat all musculoskeletal disorders with high patient satisfaction.
Palm Coast PT’s warm and friendly clinic is privately owned and operated by a physical therapist, which enables them to focus on individualized, high-quality patient care. They believe in the “patient first” mentality and focus on creating a sense of wellbeing for all of their patients. Palm Coast PT’s patients are like family, and they give them the very best of care!
To begin your journey to healing, contact them today at (239) 430-0123 or visit palmcoastphysicaltherapy.com
