Physiotherapy plays an important role in managing arthritis. It can help you to maintain independence through improving your mobility, strength and flexibility.

1. www.apnacare.in

2. What is Arthritis ?
Arthritis is inflammation of
the joints (the points where
bones meet) in one or more areas
of the body.
if you have trouble moving
around or feel pain and stiffness
in your body, you could have
arthritis. In the majority of cases
arthritis causes pain and swelling
in the joints. Eventually a swollen
joint can suffer severe damage. In
some cases, arthritis can cause
problems in the patient's eye,
skin or other organs.
www.apnacare.in

3. What Causes Arthritis?
• Cartilage is a flexible,
connective tissue in joints
that absorbs the pressure
and shock created from
movement like running and
walking. It also protects the
joints and allows for smooth
movement.
www.apnacare.in

4. Signs and symptoms of Arthritis
The symptoms of arthritis depend on
the type,
Osteoarthritis
The symptoms of osteoarthritis
develop slowly and get worse as
time goes by. There is pain in a
joint, either during or after use,
or after a period of inactivity.
There will be tenderness when
pressure is applied to the joint.
The joint will be stiff, especially
first thing in the morning.
The patient may find it harder to use
the joint - it loses its flexibility
www.apnacare.in

5. Signs and symptoms of Arthritis
www.apnacare.in
Rheumatoid arthritis
The patient often finds the same
joints in each side of the body
are painfully swollen, inflamed,
and stiff. The fingers, arms, legs
and wrists are most commonly
affected.
Symptoms are usually worst on
waking up in the morning and
the stiffness can last for 30
minutes at this time. The joint is
tender when touched. Hands
may be red and puffy.

6. Signs and symptoms of Arthritis
Infectious arthritis
The patient commonly has
a fever, joint inflammation
and swelling with infectious
arthritis. They will feel
tenderness and/or a sharp
pain. Often these symptoms
are linked to an injury or
another illness.
Most commonly affected areas
are the knee, shoulder,
elbow, wrist and finger. In
the majority of cases just
one joint is affected.
www.apnacare.in

7. How will it affect me?
www.apnacare.in
Arthritis affects people in
many different ways. How
long the patient is
affected and how severely
it is depends on the type
of arthritis. Arthritis
sufferers will find there
are good and bad days.
Most patients with
arthritis will suffer from
discomfort, pain, stiffness
and/or fatigue.

8. How to Recover from Arthritis in
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy plays an
important role in
managing arthritis. It
can help you to
maintain independence
through improving your
mobility, strength and
flexibility
www.apnacare.in

9. What do physiotherapists do?
Physiotherapists have a detailed
understanding of the body and
movement. They work with
people with limited mobility –
from injury, arthritis or
another condition – providing
advice, guided exercises and
referral to other services.
Physiotherapists can devise
simple exercise programmes
that you can practice at home
to help you build your strength
and flexibility.
www.apnacare.in

10. What will happen in physiotherapy?
The physiotherapist will examine
your posture, muscles, and, if
relevant, the way you walk. They
will ask about the activities which
cause you pain.
They will offer you advice and design
a personalized treatment plan.
This may include:
• exercise
• posture
• hydrotherapy
• massage
• pain relief techniques, such as
electrotherapy
www.apnacare.in

11. Exercise
Treatments to relieve pain and stiffness
A balanced programme of rest and
exercise, and careful attention to
joint posture is an important part
of pain management, joint protection
and maintenance of your joint
function.
Controlled exercise helps lessen pain
and stiffness and improves the
strength of muscles and ligaments, so
helping to stabilize joints. This is
essential in all aspects of self care
and particularly important before and
after joint surgery.
www.apnacare.in

12. Manual therapy
Mobilisation and manipulation
techniques are passive
movements applied to a joint
or soft tissue by the therapist
in a specific manner to help
restore full movement to a
joint that is painful and
restricted.
Manual therapy is often useful
in the chronic forms of
arthritis and is often successful
when other methods such as
heat and exercises have given
little or no relief.
www.apnacare.in

13. Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy or pool
therapy is a very useful
means of exercising arthritic
joints using the buoyancy of
water to assist or resist
movement. The warmth of
the water increases the
circulation and helps reduce
muscle spasms, producing
more effective movement.
Joint mobility, muscle
strength and general fitness
can be improved with
hydrotherapy.
www.apnacare.in

14. www.apnacare.in