Osteoarthritis Treatment Brisbane

Arthritis is a very common condition in Australia – a recent study shows it affects over three million people. Arthritis can be experienced in almost any part of the body, but commonly it’s felt in the knees, hips and hands.

Not only that, there are several different types of arthritis that can be treated in different ways. Working with an expert physiotherapist will mean that you can reduce the pain and discomfort caused by arthritis.

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Contact us today to discuss your declining bone health, or start taking active care of your bones to ensure you stay active for many years.

 

What types of arthritis are there?

While there are many different types of arthritis, the two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that lines the surfaces of your joints begins to deteriorate and wear down. The cartilage in these joints don’t have nerve endings, so this happens generally without you knowing, but the joint will become more irritated and inflamed. Once this happens, you will start experiencing pain and discomfort in the area around the inflamed joints. Generally speaking, osteoarthritis will only affect specific joints. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This type of arthritis, on the other hand, is a type of auto-immune disease. This occurs when your immune system begins to attack your body, which leads to inflammation of the joints. This can also lead to long-term loss of cartilage and even bone in the joints. Due to the nature of this condition, it more often affects more than one area of the body, often affecting the same joint on both sides.

What are the causes of osteoarthritis?

There are several causes of osteoarthritis.It can depend on where in the body you’re affected, however if you have a family history of osteoarthritis or are overweight, you are more likely to experience the condition.

If you experience osteoarthritis in the knees, it could be brought on by factors such as previous knee injuries, jobs involving kneeling or climbing and squatting. In the hips, it can be caused by prior hip injuries or lifting heavy loads.

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When you talk to one of our expert physiotherapists, they will get to know your lifestyle to understand what factors could have brought on the condition, and work with you to make any lifestyle changes, as well physiotherapy treatment, to minimise your ongoing pain.

How do I get arthritis treatment in Brisbane?

Management of rheumatoid arthritis more often focuses on combining medications and changing lifestyle facos, such as your diet, to control the symptoms. Physiotherapy is a supplemental treatment for this condition, focusing on pain management and ensuring you still have full function of your body.

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, can be more directly managed with physiotherapy treatment. It’s a common misconception that most people think that while their joints are inflamed, they should reduce their activity to minimise ‘wear-and-tear’ or future injury. In many cases, it’s a lack of control in the joint affected with osteoarthritis that leads to the increased irritation. Because of this, an exercise program developed by a qualified physiotherapist that focuses on strength and control can help to reduce pain in your daily life. 

The treatment that our physiotherapists recommend will vary from patient to patient, depending on which joints are affected, any exercise you did previously, and any lifestyle factors. This is not a one size fits all treatment, and it will take a detailed assessment  to find the perfect management plan for your particular circumstances.

What’s the difference between Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis

Though they have similar names, the two conditions are different. As previously mentioned, osteoarthritis is a condition where the joints in the body become inflamed and damaged, leading to pain and a decrease in mobility.

Osteoporosis, on the other hand, is a condition where the bones in the body become more brittle. This means it’s easier for bones to break.

Both conditions, however, are more commonly experienced by those who are 40-50 years of age or older, though they can be experienced in younger people, especially in the case of an injury.

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Ready to manage your pain with osteoarthritis treatment Brisbane?

At Graceville Physio, our team of expert physiotherapists can work with you to understand what brought on the condition, and develop a plan for treatment to ensure you can lead a full life that’s as pain free as possible.

In most cases, the outlook for people with osteoarthritis is positive, and with an exercise and lifestyle management plan in place you should still be able to live your daily life with minimal disruption.

If you suffer from arthritis and you want to start managing your pain so that you can live life to the fullest, then book in a session with one of our friendly physios today!

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