Your Journey: Arthritis Edition

I thought it would be worthwhile talking about a condition that often becomes a little more noticeable around this time of year, the beginnings of winter, and discuss how arthritis can impact our upper limb function. It can affect our quality of life, but management strategies can be utilised to help reduce symptoms and maintain as much function as possible.

There are many different classifications of arthritis, the more commonly known osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), along with psoriatic arthritis, and erosive arthritis.  This post will focus mainly on osteoarthritis, but will look to expand on this and discuss the differences and nuances to treatment strategies in the future.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions that affects our hands and can have a significant impact on our quality of life.  It can often hinder our ability to do normal activities without pain and occasionally forcing us to give up the things we enjoy the most, like gardening, crocheting, knitting, playing an instrument, golf and many others.

Osteoarthritis is often characterised by the loss of the protective cartilage surface between the bones that make up our joints.  Meaning that there is less protection from the irritation that repetitive or sustained loading of these joints can cause.  This irritation causes swelling or inflammation within the joints leading to experiences of pain or stiffness with reduced movement and strength occurring.  In more advanced stages the joints can change appearance and begin to show signs of deformity.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no specific ‘cure’ for osteoarthritis.  Hand Therapy input is often focused on providing information and education around self-management strategies that you can begin to use as part of a daily routine to form the first line of defence against ‘flare-ups’ and to help slow the progression into the future.

Every treatment plan needs to be tailored to the person and the presenting issues which can vary from person to person.  This often depends on the severity of the symptoms, which joints are specifically affected, and what kind of occupation or activities that we spend our time doing that may be contributing to ongoing aggravation.

In our next post we will talk through available treatment options - stay tuned! If you would like to contact us to discuss your concerns to see how we can help, please call us on 0499074603 or email admin@yourhandtherapy.com.au.