Aging Well Journal April 2023

The Newsletter of AW Health Care

HOME HEALTH

PRIVATE DUTY

Arthritis: You Can Manage It

Arthritis is a chronic condition. As we age, living with chronic conditions like arthritis becomes increasingly challenging. The skills of good occupational and physical therapists are especially helpful to older patients because their work is very client-centered. They can help maximize the older patient’s abilities and promote independence in self-care and social activities. As with any chronic condition, the arthritis patient should get enough rest, exercise right, eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and learn the right way to use and protect your joints. During the day, if you’ve been sitting, adjust your position frequently. Periodically tilt your neck from side to side. Bend and stretch your legs. Pace yourself. Take breaks so that you don’t over-use a single joint and cause more pain. Stand up and walk around every 30 minutes. Proper shoes and a cane can help. Have the cane fitted by a professional. Don’t borrow one from a friend or neighbor. Gadgets help open jars and bottles and turn doorknobs. Try a heating pad or cold pack, soaking in a warm bath or swimming. Try gentle exercise in the evening and you will feel less stiff in the morning.

CONSUMER DIRECTED SERVICES

OUTPATIENT THERAPY

Kinds Of Arthritis Osteoarthritis (OA). OA develops when the cartilage that pads the joints begins to wear away. Bones rub against each other causing pain and stiffness. OA often occurs in the hands, neck, lower back, or the large weight-bearing joints of your body, such as knees and hips. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, a type of illness that causes the body to attack itself. RA causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in just one joint, or many different joints at the same time. Pain can last for hours and is sometimes accompanied by fatigue and fever. RA can also cause problems with the heart, muscles, blood vessels, nervous system and eyes. Gout is a very painful kind of arthritis. It most often happens in the big toe, but other joints can also be affected. Swelling may cause the skin to pull tightly around the joint and make the area red or purple and very tender. Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Too much uric acid forms hard crystals in the joints which causes pain.

Important Dates

April Is Occupational Therapy Month

Sunday, April 2 — Palm Sunday Thursday, April 6 — Passover Friday, April 7 — Good Friday Sunday, April 9 — Easter Wednesday, April 26 — Admin. Professionals’ Day

Easy Does It Physical therapy may help ease arthritis symptoms, reduce the need for pain medication and even delay or negate the need for surgery. People with pain often move around in ways that exacerbate the pain or add to the injury. A physical therapist can help a person work around pain or injury. The therapist can teach a person how to use a walker to avoid stooping or improve posture that may be causing pain. Physical therapy can strengthen muscles and provide greater support for joints, thus easing pain. Pain is often worsened by a sedentary lifestyle. Physical therapy can teach people how to move, gain strength and improve mobility which will lessen pain. Certain types of physical therapy can help with arthritis pain: Manipulation: moving the affected joint or surrounding area and massage inflamed tissue. Exercise: Specific exercises overcome muscle weaknesses or work around injuries. Orthotic Support: Special devices to make movement easier. Post-surgical Physical Therapy: Therapist care which helps a person regain functioning after surgery.

Day-By-Day Occupational therapy teaches people with arthritis how to work within their limitations and learn to perform daily living activities such as self-care, home management and social participation without pain through: Pain modalities like heat or cold; Inflammation reduction such as limb elevation, compression garments, exercise and splinting; Activities and exercises to promote gross and fine motor skills, range of motion, endurance and strength; Joint protection/energy conservation techniques including adaptive and assistive orthotic devices and modified daily routines to promote adequate rest and avoid joint overuse; At-home ergonomic assessment and activity modifications; Stress management, relaxation techniques and nutrition advice to ease the emotional stress of living with chronic arthritis pain .

Smart Moves If you have osteoarthritis (OA), you may think that exercise would harm your joints and cause more pain. This is not true. Research has shown that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.

Exercise is the best and most effective non-drug treatment for pain reduction and improved mobility. People with osteoarthritis benefit particularly from walking and aquatic (water) exercises. Your joints will feel better after a good walk. Along with your current arthritis treatment program, exercise can: • Strengthen the muscles around your joints • Help you maintain bone strength • Give you more strength and energy to get through the day • Make it easier to get a good night’s sleep • Help you control your weight • Make you feel better about yourself and improve your sense of well-being

What Is Aquatic Exercise? Aquatic exercise is helpful for people just beginning to exercise, as well as those who are overweight. Aquatic exercise is performed in water about shoulder height. The water takes the pressure of body weight off the hips and knees in particular, while providing resistance for the muscles. Aquatic exercise relieves pain and improves daily function.

Natural Effective Therapy for Arthritis Get more information on massage, acupuncture, yoga and tai chi as well as mind/body pain relief through creative visualization on the Arthritis Foundation website: www.arthritis.org

Know Your Exercises Range of motion exercises allow your joints to go through the full motion they are designed to achieve. These include gentle stretching. Done regularly, range of motion exercise help with joint flexibility. Aerobic, or endurance exercises strengthen the heart and lungs. These include walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming and using the elliptical machine. Aerobic exercises reduce fatigue, build stamina and burn calories to help with weight control. Strengthening exercises improve muscle strength, necessary for good joint support. Examples are weight training, using resistance bands and walking up hills

What About Weight Training? If you are coping with OA, you might be wondering if weight training is OK and how to get started. The best course is to seek the help of a physical therapist. You may be advised to try limited 20- to 30-minute sessions twice weekly. Your therapist may have you start with a pair of light hand weights (2 to 3 pounds for women and 5 to 8 pounds for men) and just a few repetitions that will work major muscle groups. Let your therapist advise you. You will see results!

Before starting any exercise program, check with your doctor first. You might also want to talk with a physical therapist. AW Health Care has therapists on staff to help people develop an effective exercise program designed for individual needs.

(314) 330-7992

Easy Does It Physical therapy may help ease arthritis symptoms, reduce the need for pain medication and even delay or negate the need for surgery. People with pain often move around in ways that exacerbate the pain or add to the injury. A physical therapist can help a person work around pain or injury. The therapist can teach a person how to use a walker to avoid stooping or improve posture that may be causing pain. Physical therapy can strengthen muscles and provide greater support for joints, thus easing pain. Pain is often worsened by a sedentary lifestyle. Physical therapy can teach people how to move, gain strength and improve mobility which will lessen pain. Certain types of physical therapy can help with arthritis pain: Manipulation: moving the affected joint or surrounding area and massage inflamed tissue. Exercise: Specific exercises overcome muscle weaknesses or work around injuries. Orthotic Support: Special devices to make movement easier. Post-surgical Physical Therapy: Therapist care which helps a person regain functioning after surgery.

Day-By-Day Occupational therapy teaches people with arthritis how to work within their limitations and learn to perform daily living activities such as self-care, home management and social participation without pain through: Pain modalities like heat or cold; Inflammation reduction such as limb elevation, compression garments, exercise and splinting; Activities and exercises to promote gross and fine motor skills, range of motion, endurance and strength; Joint protection/energy conservation techniques including adaptive and assistive orthotic devices and modified daily routines to promote adequate rest and avoid joint overuse; At-home ergonomic assessment and activity modifications; Stress management, relaxation techniques and nutrition advice to ease the emotional stress of living with chronic arthritis pain .

Smart Moves If you have osteoarthritis (OA), you may think that exercise would harm your joints and cause more pain. This is not true. Research has shown that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.

Exercise is the best and most effective non-drug treatment for pain reduction and improved mobility. People with osteoarthritis benefit particularly from walking and aquatic (water) exercises. Your joints will feel better after a good walk. Along with your current arthritis treatment program, exercise can: • Strengthen the muscles around your joints • Help you maintain bone strength • Give you more strength and energy to get through the day • Make it easier to get a good night’s sleep • Help you control your weight • Make you feel better about yourself and improve your sense of well-being

What Is Aquatic Exercise? Aquatic exercise is helpful for people just beginning to exercise, as well as those who are overweight. Aquatic exercise is performed in water about shoulder height. The water takes the pressure of body weight off the hips and knees in particular, while providing resistance for the muscles. Aquatic exercise relieves pain and improves daily function.

Natural Effective Therapy for Arthritis Get more information on massage, acupuncture, yoga and tai chi as well as mind/body pain relief through creative visualization on the Arthritis Foundation website: www.arthritis.org

Know Your Exercises Range of motion exercises allow your joints to go through the full motion they are designed to achieve. These include gentle stretching. Done regularly, range of motion exercise help with joint flexibility. Aerobic, or endurance exercises strengthen the heart and lungs. These include walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming and using the elliptical machine. Aerobic exercises reduce fatigue, build stamina and burn calories to help with weight control. Strengthening exercises improve muscle strength, necessary for good joint support. Examples are weight training, using resistance bands and walking up hills

What About Weight Training? If you are coping with OA, you might be wondering if weight training is OK and how to get started. The best course is to seek the help of a physical therapist. You may be advised to try limited 20- to 30-minute sessions twice weekly. Your therapist may have you start with a pair of light hand weights (2 to 3 pounds for women and 5 to 8 pounds for men) and just a few repetitions that will work major muscle groups. Let your therapist advise you. You will see results!

Before starting any exercise program, check with your doctor first. You might also want to talk with a physical therapist. AW Health Care has therapists on staff to help people develop an effective exercise program designed for individual needs.

(314) 330-7992

Spring Has Sprung!! Here are a few ideas to get into the season. When the April showers appear, Stay indoors and exercise your brain. Do a crossword puzzle. Read a book. Play cards or bingo. Join with others. Play a board game. Make a phone call to a friend or family member. Learn something new. Watch a video. Try yoga. Start a craft project or puzzle. Watch an old movie or research your genealogy. Colorful birds appear as the weather warms. Put out a bird feeder and do some birdwatching. Take a walk outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. If you are not too mobile, just do some sitting outside in the sunshine. Be sure to dress wisely. You might need a light jacket or hat and scarf. On a sunny day, eat a picnic lunch outdoors. Invite a friend to join you. This is planting season. Get a few seed packets, start a small container garden and watch it grow.

Spring Cleaning This is a good time of year to clean out the clutter around your home. After the winter, clutter may have accumulated. It’s good exercise to get up and do a few small clean-up jobs. Here are a few tips to make spring cleanup a breeze: Work in small chunks of time. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Some clean-up jobs can be overwhelming and are best accomplished over several days or even weeks. Don’t rush it. Make your de-cluttering a priority. Have you been tossing items in a closet, under the bed or in the corner of a spare room? Now is a good time to tackle the clutter. You will be glad you did because clutter can cause stress and become a fall risk. If you have heavy items to move, get help. Do not try to lift heavy items yourself. You could risk injury. If there is no family member available, call a professional. It will be worth it.

Go on a field trip to a local farmer’s market. Stroll through and shop fresh produce and flowers.

Check Your Medicine Cabinets. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 22, 2023. Clear out all expired medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

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