Find Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain

Are you experiencing persistent joint pain, particularly in a weight-bearing joint like your hip or knee? Do you ever notice a clicking or grinding sensation in your painful joint? If so, you may have developed osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in the United States.

Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation and lead to pain and restricted mobility. The source of that inflammation will vary depending on the type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of the cartilage and bone tissue in the affected joint. Osteoarthritis has no cure and can profoundly impact your overall quality of life, making it harder for you to stay active, keep up with chores, and enjoy time with your loved ones. Fortunately, physical therapy at The Center of Medical Arts offers several tools and techniques to help you manage your symptoms — often enough that you can delay or even avoid surgical interventions. If you’re tired of living with osteoarthritis pain, call us to schedule an appointment today!

 

Patient Success

“I absolutely love the Pilates classes and physical therapy sessions here at CMA. The staff, such as Curtis, consistently delivers world class customer and client services. I have experienced how Pilates coordinates the mind and body. My core consistently strengthens compared to when I first started. I am recommending CMA to everyone. Also, great location, great parking. Enjoy!” – Erica B.

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Understanding Osteoarthritis: Symptoms and Causes

The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the affected joint. These symptoms often manifest in the following ways:

• Pain during activity but not while at rest
• Pain when you press on the joint
• Joint stiffness first thing in the morning
• Joint stiffness after sitting or lying down for long periods
• Noises in the joint, including creaking, cracking, or crunching

While any joint can develop osteoarthritis, it most commonly occurs in weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips. However, it’s also fairly common in the hands, spine, and feet.

The causes of osteoarthritis are complex, and several factors can contribute to it. One of these factors is age: approximately 73% of people with the condition are 55 years or older. That’s not to say osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of the aging process — plenty of older people don’t have it. But your chances of developing it do increase as you age.

Other possible factors contributing to osteoarthritis include past injuries to the joint, gender (women are more likely to develop it than men), body weight, and even genetic predispositions.

How Physical Therapy Helps Manage Osteoarthritis Symptoms

The good news is that you can control osteoarthritis symptoms with the help of physical therapy. Although movement can be painful with osteoarthritis, exercise is one of the best drug-free ways to manage the condition. Our physical therapists will help you find an exercise program that suits your needs.

Here’s how we’ll do it:

• Comprehensive Evaluation: We start by evaluating how osteoarthritis impacts you, including performing simple tests to assess your strength, mobility, and/or balance. We’ll also ask you about the ways that osteoarthritis is negatively affecting your life. For example, which activities do you find challenging? 
• Provide Pain Relief: We’ll use manual therapy techniques to help manage your pain and get the joint moving in a gentle way. For example, we might guide the joint through its current range of motion or manipulate the surrounding soft tissue.
• Build Strength and Restore Mobility: We’ll develop a customized, progressive exercise program to rebuild lost strength and mobility in the affected joint. Building strength, in particular, can help support and protect the joint so you can move more easily.
• Develop An At-Home Exercise Program: You’ll supplement your sessions in our clinic with a personalized home workout program to ensure you keep moving! We’ll find something that suits your abilities and interests, such as a walking program or water aerobics.
• Provide Strategies for Activity Modifications: Finally, we can help you identify and avoid any specific activities that might put too much strain on your joints. If needed, we can also show you how to use mobility aids (such as canes or walkers).

3 Simple Movements to Help Alleviate OA Pain

If you have osteoarthritis, it’s important to stay active to help keep your joints healthy. While our physical therapists can help you develop a suitable exercise program, you can also incorporate movement in small ways throughout the day.

These simple exercises will help mobilize your joints, and you can easily do them at home. Of course, check with your PT before starting anything new!

Looking for more simple arthritis stretches? Call The Center of Medical Arts for an appointment today!

Conquer Your Back Pain and Enjoy a Pain-Free Spring

As the world awakens this spring, don’t let back pain keep you from enjoying the season’s beauty. At The Center of Medical Arts, we’ll help you find the spirit of spring by resolving your back pain once and for all! 

Our expert guidance will help you:

• Alleviate your pain and prevent future discomfort.
• Regain your mobility and strength so you can enjoy the warmer weather.
• Spend time with your friends and family without back pain standing in your way!

Our treatments are tailored to your unique needs to help you enjoy spring with confidence and vitality—reach out today and let us help you bloom pain-free!

Staff Spotlight

Heather Whitehouse | Pilates Instructor & Holistic Wellness Practitioner

Dedicated and experienced Pilates instructor with extensive training in injury rehabilitation, special populations, and all levels of Pilates practice. Passionate about holistic wellness, integrating Ayurveda, meditation, and healing techniques into client care.

Recipe of the Month: Blender Banana Spinach Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 medium to large extra ripe bananas (with LOTS of brown spots)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
• ⅓ cup dairy free milk of choice
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed blanched almond flour
• 1 cup oat flour, gluten free if desired
• ¼ cup flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Optional: 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 10 muffin liners (we’re only making 10 muffins). Spray the inside of the muffin liners with nonstick cooking spray so the muffins do not stick to the liners.
2. Add the eggs, bananas, maple syrup/honey, dairy free milk, spinach and vanilla extract to a large, high powered blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Pour the blended wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Feel free to stir in hemp hearts, if using. Divide the batter between the muffin liners.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.