Did you know that women are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis after the age of 55 than men are? There are an estimated 27 million people in the country that have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and approximately 60% of those cases are women. Further, women are more likely to experience joint pain in their knees or hands as opposed to their hips. Surprising, right?
Osteoarthritis is sometimes better known as “degenerative joint disease”. It occurs when the cartilage that is found between your joints breaks down, causing your bones to sort of rub together as you move. Cartilage is a natural cushion between bones, so it can feel very painful when it’s not there.
The early symptoms of osteoarthritis include stiffness, especially in the morning or after a period of rest. Eventually, stiffness becomes pain that can last even after you get up and moving around. This may be exacerbated if you are overweight. The excess pounds on your joints can catalyze the degeneration of the cartilage typically found there.
Luckily, there are many treatment options. Arguably the most successful is physical therapy. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal compared treatment by physical therapy to treatment by ultrasound. After just 4 weeks of treatment, researchers found a significant improvement in walking tolerance and pain levels by those who had received physical therapy. The patients that received treatment by ultrasound did not experience the same results.
The researchers were able to conclude that a combination of manual therapy and therapeutic exercises were able to provide greater relief to patients when compared to treatment by ultrasound. Physical therapy also reduced the chance of patients needing surgical interventions later down the road.
Find the study in full here.
If you’re experiencing joint pain, don’t wait for it to control your life. Go see your physical therapist today!
Deyle GD, Henderson NE, Matekel RL, Ryder MG, Garber MB, Allison SC. Effectiveness of Manual Physical Therapy and Exercise in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2000;132:173–181. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-132-3-200002010-00002
http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/osteoarthritis/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/osteoarthritis/osteoarthritis-and-gender.aspx