RHEUMATOID Arthritis Physiotherapy Mississauga

Updated: Nov 13, 2019

 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints. This creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints to thicken, resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints. About 1.5 million people in the United States have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nearly three times as many women have the disease as men. In women, RA most commonly begins between ages 30 and 60. In men, it often occurs later in life. Having a family member with RA increases the odds of having RA; however, the majority of people with RA have no family history of the disease. There are some risk factors as follows, Age: RA can affect at any age, but it’s most common between 40 and 60. It isn’t a normal part of aging.

It involves multiple joints on both side of the body (bilaterally). Commonly affected joints are fingers, wrists, and knees. Inflammation in the joints damages the tissue within it and can cause long-term pain, loss of balance, and deformity. RA has high morbidity rate which is associated with disabling disease. However, early diagnosis and treatment can avoid pain and damage to the joints which can lead to productive and active living.

Today, early treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs which controls the symptoms is the standard of care along with physiotherapy to maintain joint mobility, to slow disease progression.

 

Family history: family history is an important factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Gender

RA is more common in women than men. It’s more likely in women who’ve never been pregnant and those who’ve recently given birth. Obesity: Extra weight, especially under age of 55 years. Smoking: smoking can increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

What are the signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include: Tender, warm, swollen joints, Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity, Fatigue, fever, reduced muscle power, loss of joint range of motion, significant loss of function and independence, morning stiffness in the joints which may last up to several hours. and loss of appetite. Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first, particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to feet. As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of body.

Hence its limits the daily movements like difficulty making a fist, opening objects, twisting objects, climbing stairs and other. Other signs and symptoms include weight loss and Rheumatoid nodules (small lumps of tissue under the skin).

 

Diagnosis

Blood tests may be used to check for signs of infection or inflammation. X-ray or MRI pictures may be taken of the bones and tissues in your joints. You may be given contrast liquid as a shot into the joint to help your joint show up better. Tell the healthcare provider if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast liquid. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Metal can cause serious injury. Tell the healthcare provider if you have any metal in or on your body. Arthrocentesis is a procedure used to drain fluid out of a joint. The fluid is tested for infection or other problems that can cause arthritis.

Synovial biopsy may be used if your joint fluid cannot be drained or if you have signs of an infection. A piece of tissue is removed from the lining of a joint. The tissue is tested for possible causes of your arthritis.

 

MANAGEMENT

Management should be patient centred while taking into account each patient’s individual needs; therefore a thorough patient assessment must be completed before any treatment is undertaken. Curezone physiotherapy Clinic, Mississauga is a team of multidisciplinary practitioners’ showing effective management of the patients with Rheumatoid arthritis and providing access to all members of the team as necessary.  We make sure we have good communication and cooperation between all team members for providing best results.

RA is a chronic disorder that has no cure. All the currently available treatments are geared towards improving the symptoms and offering a better quality of life. Physiotherapy aims to reduce pain and stiffness, stabilize joints, prevent joint deformity, improve exercise tolerance and muscle power, maximize function Independence and quality of life and promote self-management by utilizing number of various modalities available.

Exercise and education are the most important aspects of physiotherapy intervention.  RA is diagnosed by patient’s symptoms, results of doctor´s examination, assessment of risk factors, family history, joint assessment by ultrasound sonography, and laboratory blood tests.  Ultrasound and MRI are usually recommended for diagnosing and monitoring disease activity.

 

 

 

Physiotherapy Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The common components of Physiotherapy treatment in Mississauga for RA are:

  1. Exercise therapy: Exercises include range of motion exercises, Muscle re-education and strengthening exercises using free weights such as plastic bottle or dumbbells. 
  2. Joint protection
  3. Functional splinting and assistive devices
  4. Massage therapy
  5. Patient education. And self-management: Increase patients’ knowledge about their disease, help patient to make informed choices, encourage self management, empower patient and improve self-confidence. Education should be made available in different languages do suit the local population.
  1. Aquatic physical therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It is one of the oldest and the most frequently used treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
  2. Paraffin wax bath combined with exercises have shown who provides short-term effects for hands.
  3. Tai Chi is another form of Chinese Health martial art form as a therapy for arthritis for centuries.

 

At the present, there is no therapy that can completely heal RA. But there are treatments that achieve pain relief and the slowdown of the activity of RA to prevent disability and increase functional capacity. RA patients are unfortunately committed to a treatment for life. The benefits of physiotherapy interventions have been well documented. Physiotherapists play an integral role in the non pharmacologic management of RA. They help patients with RA cope with chronic pain and disability through the design of programs that address flexibility, endurance, aerobic condition, a range of motion (ROM), strength, bone integrity, coordination, balance and risk of falls.

All current UK clinical guidelines for the management of RA recommend the use of physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) as an adjunct to drug treatment. The three most common components of PT/OT for RA hands are exercise therapy, joint protection advice and provision of functional splinting and assistive devices, massage therapy, exercise therapy and patient education.

Dynamic exercise (aerobic capacity and/or muscle strength training) was effective in improving muscular endurance and strength, without detrimental effects on disease activity or pain.

The therapy goals in most cases are:

  • Pain control
  • Improvement in disease management knowledge
  • Improvement in activities of daily living
  • Manage Joint stiffness and Range of motion
  • Prevent or control joint damage
  • Improve strength, endurance, fatigue levels and hence the quality of life
  • Improve stability and coordination thereby reducing the risk of fall
  • Maintain Muscle power
  • Checking posture and informing patients about postural awareness and ergonomics.


People who are diagnosed with RA also may experience a phenomenon that is called an “flare up” which occurs usually after experiencing a secondary illness, being involved in a high stress situation, or overexerting oneself. Use physiotherapeutic modalities can be beneficial in reducing inflammation and pain during a flare up. You can always talk to our physiotherapist and get to know about home program on how to manage your pain during flare up.

Talk to our most experienced Orthopedic and sports physiotherapist at curezone Physiotherapy Mississauga and start your treatments today to improve your quality of life. Call us now at 905 997 4333 

Sheena John

Registered Physiotherapist

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RHEUMATOID Arthritis Physiotherapy Mississauga

Updated: Nov 13, 2019

 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints. This creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints to thicken, resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints. About 1.5 million people in the United States have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nearly three times as many women have the disease as men. In women, RA most commonly begins between ages 30 and 60. In men, it often occurs later in life. Having a family member with RA increases the odds of having RA; however, the majority of people with RA have no family history of the disease. There are some risk factors as follows, Age: RA can affect at any age, but it’s most common between 40 and 60. It isn’t a normal part of aging.

Family history: family history is an important factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Gender

RA is more common in women than men. It’s more likely in women who’ve never been pregnant and those who’ve recently given birth. Obesity: Extra weight, especially under age of 55 years. Smoking: smoking can increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

What are the signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include: Tender, warm, swollen joints, Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity, Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite. Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first, particularly the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to feet. As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of body.

 

Diagnosis

Blood tests may be used to check for signs of infection or inflammation. X-ray or MRI pictures may be taken of the bones and tissues in your joints. You may be given contrast liquid as a shot into the joint to help your joint show up better. Tell the healthcare provider if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast liquid. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Metal can cause serious injury. Tell the healthcare provider if you have any metal in or on your body. Arthrocentesis is a procedure used to drain fluid out of a joint. The fluid is tested for infection or other problems that can cause arthritis.

Synovial biopsy may be used if your joint fluid cannot be drained or if you have signs of an infection. A piece of tissue is removed from the lining of a joint. The tissue is tested for possible causes of your arthritis.

 

Physiotherapy Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

 

At the present, there is no therapy that can completely heal RA. But there are treatments that achieve pain relief and the slowdown of the activity of RA to prevent disability and increase functional capacity. RA patients are unfortunately committed to a treatment for life. The benefits of physiotherapy interventions have been well documented. Physiotherapists play an integral role in the non pharmacologic management of RA. They help patients with RA cope with chronic pain and disability through the design of programs that address flexibility, endurance, aerobic condition, a range of motion (ROM), strength, bone integrity, coordination, balance and risk of falls.

All current UK clinical guidelines for the management of RA recommend the use of physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) as an adjunct to drug treatment. The three most common components of PT/OT for RA hands are exercise therapy, joint protection advice and provision of functional splinting and assistive devices, massage therapy, exercise therapy and patient education.

Dynamic exercise (aerobic capacity and/or muscle strength training) was effective in improving muscular endurance and strength, without detrimental effects on disease activity or pain.

Goals of Physiotherapy in treating RA

Improvement in disease management knowledge Pain control

Improvement in activities of daily living

Improvement in Joint stiffness (Range of motion) Prevent or control joint damage

Improve strength

Improve fatigue levels Improve the quality of life

Improve aerobic condition Improve stability and coordination

 

Talk to our Orthopedic and sports physiotherapists at Curezone physiotherapy Mississauga and start your treatments today to improve your quality of life. Call us now at 905 997 4333.

Sheena John

Registered Physiotherapist

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