Great news for arthritis sufferers!

The recent Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) conference held in Sydney hosted almost 2000 physio's and an accomplished array of international keynote presenters who outlined their latest research findings. 

For patients of Chronic Pain Solutions, what does this mean?  It means that your physio (David) has absorbed the latest findings and has talked to the researchers personally about how their results may improve your clinical care.  Some highlights of the conference include:

 

EXERCISES FOR ARTHRITIS

  • These have been shown to be of most benefit in early stage arthritis.  SO DON'T DELAY SEEKING TREATMENT IF YOU HAVE ARTHRITIS PAIN!  The sooner you start treatment the better your results are likely to be. 
  • Why does exercise (or better muscles) help?  Because the primary shock absorber for your joints are muscles, not the cartilage that is damaged and worn out in arthritis.  The better your muscles the less likely you are to have joint pain. 
  • Can I just do any exercise?  NO!  Some types of exercise can be too agrressive and aggravate your pain, whilst other exercises prescribed at the right level for you as an individual can be helpful. 
  • IF YOU HAVE ARTHRITIS, ASK DAVID ABOUT HOW AN EXERCISE PROGRAM MAY BE OF BENEFIT TO YOU.

 

SITTING POSTURE AND BACK PAIN

  • Recent research has demonstrated that people with back pain may sit differently and that this may contribute to their pain (I'm sure you can imagine that being slouched all day at work is probably not a good thing, but yes this has now been proven!).
  • People with back pain not only sit in a different position but also use their muscles differently.
  • How does this affect me?  Well if you have back pain determining the "best" sitting position for you as an individual may help.  This position is not necessarily "universal" meaning that what might work best to reduce your pain may not be the best position for everyone else.
  • Ask David how you can sit better to reduce pain.

HIP PAIN ANYONE?

  • Traditionally hip pain has been diagnosed as either arthitis or bursitis in people over the age of 40.  Research over the past decade or more has shown there are many other possibilities that commonly occur, including muscle trigger points, tendon disorders, labral tears (a tear of the deep cartilage in the hip joint), and others.
  • This means that people with hip pain need a careful examination to determine the true cause of their problem.  It also means that your treatment will vary considerably depending on the diagnosis.
  • If you have a sore hip please ask about it.  Like with almost every other condition, EARLY TREATMENT PRODUCES BETTER RESULTS!