Arthritis Pain Relief

By Ibrahima Diallo, PT, DPT

There is no one best way to manage arthritis pain, and no single technique that is guaranteed to give you complete pain relief. In fact, a combination of methods work best.

Step 1 Learn about your arthritis pain

Learn all you can about your arthritis so you can break down the mental roadblocks.

Step 2 Restore your muscle balance

Regain posture. Proper posture is very important. Years of compensating for a sore/painful knee or hip can result in pain in the hip, knee, or even the ankle. Sitting slouched for hours, jutting the abdomen out when standing can lead to low back pain. Our therapists can observe how you sit, stand, and walk and teach you how to adjust your posture to decrease the stress on your joints, and help you move with less pain.

Exercise. Regular exercise helps strengthen joint-supporting muscles and improves flexibility. Physical therapists specialize in arthritis treatment and can suggest appropriate movements that provide a full range of motion. Physical activity also helps blood circulation through the body and around the joints, which help bring oxygen and nutrients to help with the healing process.

Protect your joints. Sore joints can stop you from doing your daily activities like bathing, dressing, writing and driving. Physical therapists help you find alternative ways to perform your activities by strategically integrating rest periods and avoiding tasks that trigger joint pain and discomfort.

Step 3 Do-it-yourself pain relief

Heat. Warming tissues eases arthritis pain by increasing blood flow to the affected joints. It can help relax tight muscles, eliminate waste products like lactic acid that cause stiffness and soreness. Ask your physical therapist what you can do to increase temperature to affected joints.

Cold therapy. This includes ice pack, cold compression wraps, or ice massage. It works by decreasing the blood flow to the area to decrease swelling, and reducing the pain signals to the brain (making it less painful). After an acute flare-up, for the first 48-72 hours, use ice for up to 15-20 minutes to decrease pain and swelling.

Rest. Be sure to rest the injured part. You can either relax your entire body, or the joint specifically by wearing a brace to protect and support the joint.
Physical therapists can help relieve your pain and improve your quality of life with use of comprehensive and effective physical therapy services both land-based and in aquatic settings.