Many people suffer with OA in one or multiple joints and it will get us all in the end (100% of people have cervical spine OA at C5, 6 aged 80). By many clinicians  – this condition is often treated with pain killers and advice that you have to live with it as long as you can, until a part needs replacing! We can offer a solution to significantly improve symptoms in your joints. Hands on Physiotherapy which includes manual therapy has been shown to be effective in many research articles.

 

Osteoarthritis causes a break down of the joint cartilage and can lead to a laying down of bone which affects the shape of the joint. It is normally progressive with age. There are many factors which create an increased risk; age, hereditary, females more than males, obesity, previous trauma, repetitive activities and joint abnormality e.g. torn cartilage in a knee. Cigarette smoking is also known to be associated, especially in men.

 

Any synovial joint in the body can be affected, common areas include, knees, hips, ankles, hands and the spine. If there is spinal OA this can cause radiculopathy which is a compression of the nerves referring pain. Any joint which is affected by OA can be painful directly or refer into other regions, e.g hip OA can present as knee pain, which I have treated numerous times where the patient has been previously treated for knee pain and so had not had the issue of the cause of the pain addressed until I identified it and eased the symptoms with targeted treatment.

 

Examples of OA which I have treated and cleared the pain have included:
Thumb and finger OA, a common presentation which can severely affect your life as range is reduced and pain increases. An excellent treatment which often clears the pain is the compression technique, this stimulates the degenerative joint surface and promotes healing of the affected area and reduces pain in the joint, even when severe OA is present. Fingers and toes are very responsive to this.

 

I recently treated an 80 year old who had severe degenerative changes in the knees and especially in the patellae (knee caps) femoral joints. I treated him with both compression technique on the patellae and manipulation of the knee joint and he has significantly improved his walking from being almost bed-bound to freely walking about his flat and going out for up to a mile.

 

Spinal OA causes multiple signs and symptoms. It is very common as we get older and can affect from one joint to a whole spine. Treatment depends on the presentation of the level which is affected and the type of pain and degeneration. Spinal manipulation and mobilisation is very useful in treating and freeing up the spine and the nerves which are affected.

 

Gapping techniques are very effective on large joints like the knee and shoulder. This treatment includes a mix of mobilisation and high grade manipulation, it improves the circulation in and around the joint and leads to an increase in the range of motion. The manipulation also produces an analgesic effect and allows improved function.

 

Acupuncture is often used alongside the manipulative treatments as it aids in altering the neural input and overload of pain information bombarding the brain, it can also be effective in stretching tissues if they have become tight around a joint.

 

With the multiple types of expert treatment I utilise in the treatment of osteoarthritis I am able to restore function and mobility to joints. Pain free is the goal with as much normal movement as is available.

 

There is an alternative to taking pain killers and living with your pain and it is here at The Twyford Clinic.

Call Now or an appointment 01962 714979.