Physical therapy is not at all new. Evidence of its use as a discipline in medicine goes back at least 2,500 years. In fact, many of the methods that are used today actually date back that far. One of the first practitioners of physical therapy as a medical discipline is thought to be Hippocrates. As far back as 460 BC, hydrotherapy, therapeutic massage, and have been used for pain management and a host of other issues. Rheumatology symptoms can be caused by a host of conditions and problems. If a rheumatologist specialist has diagnosed you will rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there are great benefits to be gotten from physical therapy techniques and practices. WebMD has put together ways for people who suffer from the rheumatology symptoms associated with RA to get the most from heir time spent at physical therapy centers.
- They report that going to sessions at physical therapy centers can ease the problems associated with it such as those that impact movement. These sessions can also help people become stronger and alleviate some of the RA pain that people with it experience. People who are considering going this route, asking the professionals at the local rheumatology center for referrals can be a big help. People can also talk to the American Physical Therapy Association and their insurance carrier to find a physical therapist in their area.
- Find the right physical therapist. You may have to talk to a few about your rheumatology symptoms. You really should take your time looking for the right person or people to help you manage your rheumatology symptoms. Not every therapist is good for everyone but the right one can make a big difference in your the management of your RA.
- Work on what you want to achieve. If you give it some thought, you probably have things you want to achieve with your physical therapy sessions. Do you want to get back to taking hikes? Are you more interested in just walking up and down the stairs with no pain? Maybe you just want to be able to do your hair or take care of your shopping. Share these goals with your physical therapist. Jan Richardson, from the Duke University School of Medicine, says that, depending on the goals of the patient, different moves can be worked on and exercises can be prescribed to help them get where they want to go with their physical therapy sessions.
- Do not be afraid to push yourself. If you are working with a qualified physical therapist they can help you push yourself without you doing anything to hurt yourself in the process. For a long time, experts in RA and rheumatology symptoms thought that people who suffer from this problem should never take part in higher impact workouts such as running or weightlifting. Now that thinking has changed. New research shows that these activities actually can help improve a person’s joint health. That is good because these exercises are good for many aspects of a person’s health and well being.
- Try activities that are fun for you. Not everyone finds the same activities fun. Some people love yoga, while others enjoy tai chi or swimming. If there is an active work out that you like, you should talk to your physical therapist and then try it. People are more likely to stick with something they like doing.
- Take time to rest your body. Regardless of the reason you have decided to do physical therapy or start any kind of workout regimen, it is important to rest when your body tells you that it needs it. Some muscle soreness is normal after a workout so you need to be able to tell the difference between muscle soreness and joint pain. If you have the latter, you have to stop what you are doing because you have pushed yourself too far. To get stronger, your body does also need rest between work out periods so talk to your physical therapist about how much time you should take between workouts.
These steps can help you deal with your rheumatology symptoms through physical therapy.
