How Physical Therapy Can Help Reduce Pain Associated with Aging

At Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic, we want to take this opportunity to focus on the family element of our name. While most of our blog posts discuss educational opportunities for either adolescents or young adults, we are still happy to provide some useful guidance for those of us who are in our later years. With that in mind, we wanted to talk about some of the most common pain conditions that may rear their ugly heads as we continue to get older. Of course, these are also all conditions that Dr. Hartle or any of our trained staff members would be happy to help you with.

Arthritis

Physical therapy and arthritis go way back. It is arguably the most common condition that older adults face as it amounts to more than three million US cases per year. In fact, according to the National Institute of Aging, “Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among older people, and it is one of the most frequent causes of physical disability among older adults.” The next time that you feel pain or stiffness that seems to be getting worse, consider looking at arthritis as the culprit.

Cancer

It is a simple fact of life that many of us will face a cancer diagnosis in our lifetimes. Whether it is your friends, family members, or yourself, physical therapy has been proven to be a helpful tool in combating pain experienced as a result of this insidious disease. When discussing how physical therapy can help cancer patients, fellow experts in the space have stated, “Physical therapists create treatment plans that use physical activity to help cancer survivors manage side effects of treatment and cancer-related problems.” While, unfortunately, we can’t cure the disease for you, we can do our best to provide treatments that will help make it a little bit easier to live with.

Tendonitis

Our skeletal system has so many intricacies, and they all get a bit worn down with age. Our tendons are no different. These cords work together to attach the muscles in our body to the bones, and sometimes they can become irritated or inflamed resulting in tendinitis. The HSS notes that, “Although tendonitis can occur at any age, it is more common in adults over 40… As tendons age, they tolerate less stress and are less flexible.” Sometimes, the magic of physical therapy is knowing when to instruct clients to cease the movement of the affected area rather than having them power through and exercise it, which is true with patients suffering from tendonitis.

Multiple Sclerosis

While this is one of the more rare conditions of the bunch that we covered today, it is still a very real threat for people, especially as they get older. In case you didn’t know, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. While there is currently no cure for MS, this is another condition that can be effectively managed by physical therapy. The National MS Society themselves have reported that, “Physical therapists play an integral role in the management of MS throughout the disease course – at diagnosis, during and after relapses, during periods of progression as well as periods of stability, and when the disease becomes more advanced.“ While physical therapy cannot solve the problem entirely, it can certainly help you feel just a little bit better if you are struggling with it.

 

If you or someone you know is dealing with any of the above diagnoses, Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic is here to help however we can. We support all members of the family, including those who may not be quite as young as they used to be.