ReddyCare: Relieving Low Back Hip and Knee Arthritis

ReddyCare: Relieving Low Back Hip and Knee Arthritis

N E W S L E T T E R PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS

Arthritis treatment may include physical therapy and/or occupational therapy. People with arthritis often have stiff joints -- largely because they avoid movements that can increase pain. By not moving arthritic joints, however, the stiffness and pain only get worse. Therefore, people with arthritis often benefit from physical therapy. A physical therapist can teach you how to work out stiffness without further damaging your joint. Physical therapy also is useful after an injury, such as from a fall, and after joint surgery, especially for artificial joint replacement. Occupational therapy can teach you how to reduce strain on your joints during daily activities. Occupational therapists can show you how tomodify your home and workplace environments to reduce motions that may aggravate arthritis. They also may provide splints for your hands or wrists, and recommend assistive devices to aid in tasks such as driving, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, and certain work activities. What Is the Goal of Physical Therapy? The goal of physical therapy is to get a person back to the point where he or she can perform normal, everyday activities without difficulty. Preserving good range of motion is key to maintain the ability to perform daily activities. Therefore, increasing the range of motion of a joint is the primary focus of physical therapy. Building strength in the involved muscles surrounding the joint also is extremely important, since stronger muscles can better stabilize a weakened joint. Physical therapists provide exercises designed to preserve the strength and use of your joints. They can show you the best way to move from one position to another and can also teach you how to use walking aids such as crutches, a walker or a cane, if necessary.

What Are Some Benefits of Occupational and Physical Therapy? If you have arthritis, there are many benefits to participating in a physical and occupational therapy program, including: • You gain education about your type of arthritis, so that you can be well informed. • You gain foot-care advice, including information on well-fitting shoes with shock-absorbing outer soles and sculptured (orthotic) insoles molded exactly to the contour of each foot. • You will learn therapeutic methods to relieve discomfort and improve performance through various physical techniques and activity modifications. An occupational therapist can show you ways to do everyday tasks without worsening pain or causing joint damage. Some joint protection techniques include: • Using proper body mechanics for getting in and out of a car, chair or tub, as well as for lifting objects. • Using your strongest joints and muscles to reduce the stress on smaller joints. For example, carrying a purse or briefcase with a shoulder strap rather than with your hand. • Distributing pressure to minimize stress on any one joint. Lifting dishes with both palms rather than with your fingers and carrying heavy loads in your arms instead of with your hands. • If your hands are affected by arthritis, avoid tight gripping, pinching, squeezing, and twisting. Ways to accomplish the same tasks with alternate methods or tools can usually be found. Call today to start your recovery journey with Reddy-Care Physical & Occupational Therapy!

(WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by David Zelman, MD on April 21, 2017)

N E W S L E T T E R TREATING YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN DON’ T BE AFRAID TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS

INSIDE : • 6 Tips To Help Your Arthritis Pain • The Hypervolt Gun If you’re constantly facing lower back, hip and knee pain you might be feeling arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 54.4 million North American adults are diagnosed with some form of arthritis per year. As we age, our bones wear down. Are yours? If they are, don’t worry. It’s possible to alleviate the symptoms. It’s even possible to eliminate them entirely. If you have regular aches and pains, keep reading. We have a solution. Before knowing how to relieve arthritic pain, you’ll need to understand it. Arthritis—or the painful stiffness, or inflammation, of joints—isn’t a single disease. The term “arthritis” is an informal explanation of joint pain and disease in general. Over 100 types of arthritis exist, asserts the Arthritis Foundation. People of all ages, races and sex can get it. It’s also the leading cause of ongoing disability in America. What Causes Lower Back, Hip and Knee Arthritis? Because arthritis is a catch-all term, pinpointing what causes arthritis may be difficult. In most cases, arthritis is caused by injuries. These injuries degenerate bones, joints and cartilage, resulting in the pain. Arthritis can also be caused by:

• Patient Success Spotlight • Physical & Occupational Therapy

Simply walking can cause arthritis in the lower back, hip and knee. Our legs wear down as they’re used. Sometimes, old age is simply the culprit as use wears away at our joints and bone tissue. This type of arthritis, called degenerative arthritis—or osteoarthritis—is the most common kind of arthritis. When the leg’s cartilage—or its slick, cushioned surface—is worn away, bone rubs against bone. This pain, stiffness and swelling requires professional osteoarthritis treatment. Arthritis & Physical Therapy Regardless of the cause of arthritis, physical therapy serves a purpose in most cases. Often, severe arthritis may require medication, hot and cold therapy or even surgery. While maintaining a healthy weight, exercise and a good diet help, medical intervention may eventually be needed. During physical therapy, the individual is trained to reach maximum mobility. They may also undergo exercises that reduce the pressure on arthritic spots. If a patient has undergone surgery, post-op physical therapy can help them reclaim their mobility—as well as their lifestyle. If you or a loved one suffers from arthritis, you still have options. Call TODAY to schedule an evaluation with Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy.

• Infections, such as Lyme disease • An immune system dysfunction • The inheritance of osteoarthritis • An abnormal metabolism, which leads to gout

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TODAY GET RID OF YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN!

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6 Tips To Help Your Arthritis Pain

When it comes to treating arthritis, you may have more options than you realize. There is a lot you can do to reduce your aches and pains from arthritis, while gaining more mobility and function. People often experience pain from arthritis because of stiff joints, muscles and other tissues. In addition, muscles become weak, therefore not supporting the arthritic joints. Our customized therapy treatments promote muscle strength, improve range of motion, increase mobility and ease pain. In addition, coupling your treatments with the following can also help you live life to the fullest and get you back to doing the things you love: 1. Education and self-management. When your treatment is over, our experts will have equipped you with the knowledge and exercises you need to continue your progress on your own. 2. Weight loss. Maintaining your recommended weight—or losing weight if you are overweight—can lessen your pain by reducing stress on your affected joints. Weight loss specifically helps ease pressure on weight- bearing joints such as the hips and knees. 3. Footwear and insoles. If arthritis affects your knee, special footwear and insoles can reduce pain and improve walking. 4. Knee braces. For osteoarthritis with associated knee instability, a knee brace can reduce pain, improve stability and reduce the risk of falling. 5. Heat and cold. Many people find the heat of a warm bath, heat pack or paraffin bath eases arthritis pain. Others find relief in cold packs. Still others prefer alternating the two.

6. Exercise. Exercise has been proven to help reduce arthritis pain while increasing strength and function. Knowing the right kind of exercises to do, is the key. Talking with our physical therapists will point you in the right direction. www.reddycare.net

The Hypervolt Gun

Physical & Occupational Therapy

Do you know the difference between physical and occupational therapy? Occupation therapists help patients with functional skills, such as cooking and grooming, for their everyday life with the goal of being independent in their own home. Physical therapists help patients prevent or recover from an injury by focusing on improving body movements with manual therapy, heat and exercise. Occupational therapists help patients relearn valuable skills, improving the quality of life, while physical therapy gives you the strength to complete them.

The Hypervolt gun is our new tool that can be used in addition to manual therapy. This gun is very versatile coming in three different speed settings and head sizes to create a perfect treatment for you! It can reach deep muscles that may be difficult for a physical therapist to treat.

WE ARE NOW OFFERING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN THE HOME

Patient Success Spotlight

Staff Spotlight

My time here with Reddy Care and all the staff has been very pleasant and cheerful. “I came to Reddy Care due to Spinal Stenosis, a condition that prevented me from walking. Shehzad is a wonderful therapist, he was very helpful in relieving my pain and getting me on the road to recovery. My time here with Reddy Care and all the staff has been very pleasant and cheerful.” - Denis

STELIOS’ TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Stelios Liotopoulos, PTA has been working with Reddy Care for TEN YEARS! We are so thankful for all his hard work over the last decade. He has been able to put a smile on his patient’s faces, while giving them great results. We are excited to see what he has in store for the next ten years! New Year, New You EVERY YEAR YOUR BENEFITS RESTART CALL US TODAY SO WE CAN CHECK YOUR BENEFITS FOR

In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy

Servicing all of Long Island & Queens. Covered by Medicare Part B & Medicare supplemental plans. Call (516) 829-0030!

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