Oesteoarthritis | Conditions Treated | Spectrum Physiotherapy

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that can affect any joint in the body. It occurs when the cushioning cartilage between the joints breaks down and becomes rough, and causes affected joints to feel sore, achy, and stiff. In a normally functioning joint, cartilage (the firm, rubbery material that covers the end of each bone) acts as a smooth barrier between the two meeting joints allowing the joints to glide smoothly.

Stages of Osteoarthritis

Diagram of knee joint illustrating how the osteoarthritis affects the cartilage in different stages of the disease. As OA is a degenerative joint disease, the longer it goes untreated, the more it progresses to later stages. As the disease progresses and the cartilage is worn away, the bones will begin to rub against each other, causing them to break down and produce growths called bone spurs. Physiotherapy can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis and can prevent progression to later stages. If you’re seeking physiotherapy for symptoms of osteoarthritis, find a clinic near you and book an assessment today.

Which Joints Are Affected by Osteoarthritis?

OA can strike any joint in the body, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and a grinding sensation called crepitus. It is possible to have any number of types of the disease, including osteoarthritis of the:

Diagram of the joints most often affected by osteoarthritis – neck, shoulder, elbow, lower back, base of thumb, hip, tips of finger, knee, ankle, and the base of the big toe. This is by no means a comprehensive list.

Signs & Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Signs, symptoms, and early indicators of osteoarthritis vary depending on the affected joint and how far the disease has progressed.

Common symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

Sore, tender, painful, aching joints
Stiff joints after resting or first thing in the morning
Loss or inability to move
Swelling or inflammation inside the joint
Grinding, creaking, crunching or grating feeling in the joint
Weakness, muscle loss or unstable joints
Osteoarthritis can make it difficult to do everyday tasks like walking up or down stairs, getting out of cars, playing guitar or other fine motor skill tasks, and can also make sleeping uncomfortable.

If you’re seeking physiotherapy for symptoms of osteoarthritis, find a clinic near you and book an assessment today.

Treating Osteoarthritis With Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are trained to do a full assessment of your physical abilities, based on the findings of a detailed examination.

They note the degree of pain, swelling and discomfort you have in the affected joints, as well as how much strength, flexibility and range of motion exists in both healthy and arthritic joints.

A physiotherapist can develop an individualized program that is designed to help you increase your strength, flexibility, range of motion, general mobility and exercise tolerance through a wide variety of therapeutic treatments and interventions.

These include exercise prescription and physical modalities in addition to advising you on other techniques for reducing pain and increasing your overall quality of life.

Book an assessment with Spectrum physiotherapy clinic for osteoarthritis today.

Are you currently suffering pain or loss of range of movement?
Book an appointment with us now. No referral needed.

We have a team of physiotherapists who are experts in cutting-edge integrative physiotherapy. We strive to provide you with the best physiotherapy in Calgary.

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