DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS

Our last post, ARE YOU AT RISK FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS? focused on the "before" aspect of a diagnosis, and what risk factors increase your chances for a diagnosis. DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS is going to focus on the "after" aspect - what to do after you've been diagnosed. 

1. First and foremost: do not self diagnose.

See your primary care physician, or an orthopaedic specialist. A series of tests and health history questions will allow most medical practitioners to be positive about an osteoarthritis diagnosis, but for physical proof, you'll need either an X-ray or an MRI. 

Why an X-ray? More advanced cases of osteoarthritis will be visible in an X-ray.  Severe cartilage degeneration will be visible (or more realistically, will be nonexistent) by recognizing what's out of place in comparison to where they're anatomically in place.  Joints that are suffering from osteoarthritis will look noticeably different in an X-ray compared to that of a healthy joint. 

2. Talk to your doctor about your options.

Depending on the severity of your case, your doctor may present you with a multitude of paths to assess, or potentially just a fair few.

Non-surgical opportunities include but are not limited to: steroid injections to lessen inflammation and reduce pain, physical therapy to strengthen muscles and therefore lighten the load on the joint, or pain medications to allow you to continue functioning with minimal pain.

Surgical opportunities, or joint replacements, are extremely common. Depending on age or the severity of your case, you may be a prime candidate for a partial or total joint replacement. This will require physical therapy to aide your body in returning to full range of motion and strength, but most cases are completely successful and will allow you to return to the lifestyle you enjoy with less pain than in you have had in probably 5 or more years. 

3. In the meantime: less is not more.

While it may feel as though movement is going to aggravate and inflame that joint, lack of movement is consequentially worse. The lack of movement weakens the muscles, and therefore, adding more pressure on the joint when it's loaded. Lack of movement will essentially make it significantly more painful to move - and therefore, making the condition feel much worse. Movement, as well as strengthening, is key to maintaining a quality of life until the correct treatment option for you can be identified and agreed upon. 

4. Ice, and Anti-inflammatories

Icing the joints can lead to some stiffness, but it can also decrease the activity of inflammatory responses that lead to increased swelling from bone-on-bone activity and therefore, decreases the residual pain. Not only does it limit the inflammatory response by constricting the blood flow into that joint, but also allows you to feel relief temporarily until the numbness from the cold entirely wears off. An anti-inflammatory can help aide in minimizing your inflammatory (immune) response, but be sure to talk with your doctor about which anti-inflammatory works best for you and your specific medication protocol. 

MEET THE THERAPISTS

WHAT DO WE SPECIALIZE IN HERE AT CHAMPION PERFORMANCE AND PHYSICAL THERAPY?

You all remember the "MEET THE PHYSICIANS" blog posts, correct? Well, now it's our turn. 
This is just some simple background information regarding what all of our treating therapists specialize in, and where their clinical interests lie, at this location.

Hope Hillyard, DPT

Focus lies within all aspects of orthopaedic rehabilitation and performance, ranging from pre and post-operational treatments, to balance and gait training, to generalized joint and back pain.  Dr. Hillyard's pre and post-operational treatments cover a wide variety of procedures; the most common being ACL reconstruction/meniscus repair, labral repairs of the shoulder and hip, rotator cuff repairs, and total joint replacements of the shoulder, hip, and knee. Her clinical interests include manual and manipulation of the spine, as well as high-level sports medicine rehabilitation with high school through professional athletes. As of 2017, she will be a certified Spinal Specialist by the American Board of Spinal Manipulation. 

Janice Bode, PT

Focus lies within all aspects of orthopaedic rehabilitation, with specialties including the distal lower extremity, foot, and ankle, as well as the back and core. While Mrs. Bode practices with an emphasis in non-surgical rehabilitation to allow her to focus on the cause of pain as opposed to the symptoms, she has established a reputation as one of Kansas City's best physical therapists for post-surgical rehabilitation of the foot and ankle. 

Molly Sauder, PT

Focus lies within the pelvis floor, with treatment protocols established to relieve symptoms from a wide variety of conditions; including incontinence and constipation. Mrs. Sauder also is known for an emphasis in women's health, as a number of her patients are seen to treat pelvic floor dysfunction following vaginal birth. 

Kaitlin Way, PTA

Focus lies within all aspects of rehabilitation and performance, with a similar list of credentials as Dr. Hillyard. Mrs. Way can see any patient of Dr. Hillyard's, as they share a similar professional relationship to that of a medical doctor and their physician's assistant. She has a special clinical interest in high-level recovery for sports medicine injuries, as she is also a certified Weight Lifting Coach and Personal Trainer through the American Council of Exercise, as well as a licensed Cross-Fit coach. Kaitlin has helped to design and establish many of our high-level athlete protocols during the latter aspects of their rehab to continuously challenge them at a level that will benefit them pending their return to sport.

Michael Hill, LMT, PTA, KCTP

Focus lies within massage therapy, with special emphasis on musculoskeletal treatment of sciatica, migraines, and post-operative care and scar management. Michael Hill owns Kinesio Clinic, a massage therapy clinic located within our building. He is also a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, who is known for having an unusual edge. His ability to treat injuries from a multiple perspectives stems from his education and training in multiple treatment options that result in the same outcome. 

Pamela Carney, PT

Focus lies within holistic treatment of general pain by means of the spirit, body, and soul. She is an independent contractor who uses multiple facilities, including ours. As a board certified craniosacral therapist, she uses a combination of gentle manual therapy with functional exercise to produce physical and mental relief of pain.