When it comes to relieving joint pain and inflammation for arthritis patients, there are a number of non-surgical recommended treatments, including physical therapy. It will help you get stronger, move better, and even suffer less pain.

To get started, you should ask your Riverside arthritis doctor to prescribe physical or occupational therapy techniques, as part of your comprehensive plan to treat arthritis. In some cases, you may be referred to a reliable physical therapist, with whom you can tailor specific techniques for your case to help restore range of motion, flexibility, and muscle, which will, in turn, help you combat future arthritis pain.

Physical therapy techniques for arthritis

A physical therapy program typically starts with passive treatments to help relax your body, like heat and cold therapy, massage, ultrasound, hydrotherapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Exercise is a key part of your treatment, so once you feel ready, you can proceed to active treatments designed to strengthen your body and stop further arthritis pain. Your Riverside arthritis doctor and physical therapist, will work with you to devise a personalized exercise plan to help you achieve this.

How to customize exercises for Arthritis

Studies suggest the benefits of exercise for people with arthritis are not only physical, but also emotional as exercise has been linked to reduced incidence of depression associated with debilitating disease.

In general, exercises should keep your muscles from atrophying and help you manage better with day to day activities. But in addition to these, they should be specific to maintain pain management and joint integrity.

So, even as you learn new moves and stretches, you should keep the following tips in mind when exercising:

* Break your exercise into smaller, more manageable time frames whether due to workloads or time limitations
* Listen to your body and adjust your work rate accordingly
* Start with low-impact workout that does not stress the joints, like walking, swimming, or biking
* Safely push your limits in weightlifting and aerobic exercises, and interchange them to avoid overuse injury
* Condition your muscles properly before challenging yourself in workouts
* Cool down afterwards
* Switch up your routine and do different things every day so it's not boring
* Incorporate flexibility exercises in your exercise program to work on range of motion
* Wear proper exercise gear, including athletic shoes that provide shock absorption and adequate support for your feet
* Try other forms of therapy when having a flare, like walking in a pool or climbing the stairs

It is important that you commit yourself to your customized exercise program and discuss your exercise progress with your Riverside health care providers, to ensure good progress of your arthritis treatment plan. Ultimately, you will be able to control your symptoms yourself with little assistance from your Riverside arthritis doctor or physical therapist.