2 Benefits Of Having Orthopedic Physical Therapy Treatments As An Older Adult With Arthritis
If you are an older adult who suffers from severe arthritis, you may have visited your doctor to see what can be done about the pain and stiffness in your joints as well as the marked decrease in your ability to move around. As part of your treatment plan, they may have suggested that you start going to see a physical therapist.
If you typically think about physical therapy as it relates to recovering from an injury or surgery, you may be wondering what it can do for you. Below are a couple of the benefits you may find when you start attending regular orthopedic physical therapy sessions.
1. Helps Strengthen and Loosen the Supporting Muscles, Tendons, and Ligaments Around the Joints
One way that treatments with an orthopedic physical therapist may help you with your arthritis symptoms is that the treatments can help strengthen and loosen the supporting structures around your joints. With a specialty in orthopedics, the therapist can assess any issues with the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that serve to support and move the joints.
Once they have assessed your condition, they will devise a treatment plan that will focus on making the supporting structures stronger and on loosening up any excessively tight muscles. After several sessions, you may start to see a decrease in your arthritis symptoms.
2. Helps to Reduce Your Risk of Falling Because of Weak Muscles and Painful Joints
Another way the sessions can benefit you is that the therapy treatments can reduce your risk of falling. When your joints are painful and the muscles around them have become weak, you are at a higher risk of falling. As an older adult, falling could result in a serious injury such as a broken hip or head trauma.
While you are attending your physical therapy sessions, your muscles and joints will become stronger, and your balance will start to improve. This combination helps to improve your mobility so that you are not as likely to fall.
When you have severe arthritis as an older adult, therapy treatments can help to strengthen and loosen the tight, painful muscles, tendons, and ligaments around your joints to provide relief from your symptoms. The treatments can also help reduce your risk of falls because of weak joints and muscles as well as sharp pains while you are walking. Contact a professional for more information about orthopedic physical therapy.
