We live in an era when advanced medicine – and joint replacements in particular – are allowing people with debilitating conditions to live longer, healthier, and more enjoyable lives. Over 1 million total hip and total knee replacement procedures are performed in the U.S. each year.
An estimated 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of one or more joints. About 1.5 million of them have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This more debilitating form is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that typically targets the lining of multiple joints throughout the body.
People getting in shape tend to focus on building cardio and muscle strength. That’s a good start, but it’s just as important to keep our bone and joint health in mind.
If you’ve ever worked with an occupational therapist following an injury, then you know that ongoing assessments are central to their ability to measure your improvements.
If you’ve ever been prescribed occupation-based hand therapy, you may have felt a bit confused at first. That’s because this niche of occupational therapy (OT) is not restricted to the treatment of hand injuries alone.
Read more: Occupation-Based Hand Therapy for Work-Related Injuries
In 2019, 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private businesses. The number of all work-related injuries was likely much higher. Since they tend to be orthopaedic in nature, patients suffering from them should seek treatment at a clinic that specializes in those types of conditions.
Read more: How Occupational Therapy Fits into Our Occupational Medicine Program
If you are scheduled to have surgery, your physician might recommend that you do physical therapy (PT) in the weeks leading up to it. While PT is typically thought of as something people do after surgery – or when surgery isn’t required – in some cases, it’s also recommended for patients willing to make the effort beforehand.
Physical therapy (PT) is often a crucial step in achieving lasting outcomes for patients recovering from countless musculoskeletal disorders. Your physical therapist will provide you with education and targeted exercises you can return to at any time in the future – particularly if you suffer from a condition like chronic back pain that requires ongoing attention and maintenance.
