Osteopath Dr. Anne-Marie Noble shares the Osteopathic Approach to dealing with arthritis.
Arthritis is a very common and painful condition affecting men and women of all ages. Although there are many types of arthritis, the two most commonly diagnosed are ‘osteoarthritis’ and rheumatoid arthritis’.
Your GP or specialist may diagnose this, confirmed with diagnostic tests such as X-ray, MRI, and blood tests. As Osteopaths, physical examination and your signs/symptoms will also confirm the diagnosis of the type of arthritis that is causing your pain/stiffness.
Management of your arthritis is essential in controlling pain and improving quality of life, as well as the ability to carry out common tasks of daily living.
The most common presenting symptoms of arthritis include:
Joint pain/stiffness
Muscle tightness/weakness/spasm
Restricted range of movement of joints
Joint and muscle inflammation
Joint crepitus (grating, crackling, popping sounds)
Redness/heat from joints
Localised swelling
An Osteopathic treatment is very hands-on and aims to:
Improve joint mobility
Increase muscle flexibility
Increase range of movement of affected joints
Decrease joint inflammation
Decrease muscle pain/spasm
We do this by using techniques such as:
Soft-tissue or deep-tissue massage
Myofascial release
Joint mobilisation
Joint articulation
Stretching
Muscle energy techniques
Exercise prescription
At BodyActive Therapies we treat all types of arthritis and endeavour to improve your quality of life as well as educate each patient with an effective & realistic management plan.
Osteopathic appointments are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with Dr Anne-Marie Noble.