ARTHRITIS
THERAPY
There are over 100 types of arthritic conditions including those of inflammatory,
degenerative, hereditary and/or spinal origin.Some conditions that may
develop in conjunction with arthritis include fibromyalgia syndrome (see
below), polymyalgia rheumatica and inflammatory muscle diseases such as
polymiositis.
TREATMENT
Arthritis therapy sessions designed for arthritic patients and patients with chronic degenerative and/or inflammatory joint disorders include: management of pain and inflammation, therapeutic exercise, joint protection and the distribution of assistive devices as needed. We also place emphasis on self-management of pain and inflammation, provide patient education on stress management, body mechanics training, posture strengthening and awareness, energy conservation and nutrition as they relate to affects of the disorder.
FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread pain and fatigue throughout the four quadrants of the body. Some of the symptoms include: pain, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorder, chronic headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, morning stiffness and numbing and tingling sensations. Physical therapy treatments are geared toward pain reduction and self-management of symptoms, therapeutic exercise with aerobic/endurance and strengthening emphasis, body mechanics and posture training, relaxation techniques, stretching and manual techniques as indicated for pain reduction and flexibility.