Arthritis Awareness Month: How Physical Therapy Supports Long-Term Joint Health
If you’re living with arthritis, you’re not alone—and you’re not out of options.
At Houghton Physical Therapy, we’ve helped hundreds of people reduce pain, restore mobility, and regain control of their lives through safe, natural solutions. Arthritis Awareness Month is the perfect time to talk about how physical therapy plays a vital role in helping you move better, feel stronger, and get back to doing what you love.
Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or have been managing joint pain for years, physical therapy offers powerful tools to reduce discomfort and keep your joints working for the long haul. Let’s dive into how it works.
Understanding the 4 Most Common Types of Arthritis—and How They Affect Your Joints
There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but four are most commonly seen in our clinic. Understanding the type you’re dealing with is the first step in creating a care plan that works.
1. Osteoarthritis (OA)
This is the most common form of arthritis. It’s a degenerative condition caused by long-term wear and tear of your joints. You’ll often feel it in your knees, hips, spine, or hands—especially after prolonged activity. OA can lead to joint stiffness, swelling, and decreased range of motion.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Unlike OA, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Your immune system mistakenly attacks your joint tissues, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. RA often affects smaller joints like fingers, wrists, and toes—but it can also impact larger joints.
3. Psoriatic Arthritis
Linked to the skin condition psoriasis, this form of arthritis causes joint inflammation and pain, and can sometimes result in joint deformity. It affects both the skin and joints and may be unpredictable in its flare-ups.
4. Post-Traumatic Arthritis
This type of arthritis develops after a joint injury or surgery—sometimes months or even years later. It often impacts athletes or those with a physically demanding history and can affect any joint previously injured.
No matter the type, the good news is this: physical therapy can help. Here’s how:
1. Customized Exercise Plans to Strengthen Muscles and Support Joints
When your joints are under stress, strengthening the muscles around them can help distribute the load and reduce pain. At Houghton PT, we design exercise programs tailored to your body, your goals, and your specific type of arthritis.
These aren’t just random workouts—they’re safe, evidence-based routines that improve strength, endurance, and flexibility without increasing joint stress. For example:
- Seated Knee Extensions (great for knee arthritis): Sit in a chair, straighten one leg, hold for 5 seconds, and slowly lower it down. Repeat 10 times on each side.
- Wrist Circles (great for hand/wrist arthritis): Slowly rotate your wrists clockwise and counterclockwise, 10 times in each direction.
- Bonus: Ankle Pumps (for lower joint stiffness): While seated, flex and point your toes up and down 20 times to promote circulation and ease tension.
These are simple, but when done consistently—and correctly—they can really make a difference.
2. Targeted Manual Therapy to Reduce Joint Stiffness and Improve Flexibility
Hands-on treatment is one of the most effective ways to improve joint mobility and decrease stiffness. Our therapists use soft tissue release, gentle joint mobilization, and movement techniques to improve range of motion, decrease inflammation, and help you feel looser and more comfortable in your body.
This isn’t cookie-cutter care. Each manual therapy session is customized to your comfort level and pain response, ensuring you leave feeling better—not sore or worn out.
3. Pain Relief Without Medication Using Modalities Like Heat, Ice, and Electrical Stimulation
You don’t have to live on pain pills to feel better.
At Houghton PT, we use a variety of natural pain-relief tools to help calm inflammation, reduce muscle tension, and improve joint function. This includes:
- Stimpod therapy, a cutting-edge device that delivers targeted neural stimulation to help with stubborn pain and muscle reactivation
- Shockwave therapy, a powerful tool that uses acoustic energy to break up scar tissue, improve blood flow, and relieve chronic joint pain
These therapies are gentle, non-invasive, and proven to support healing without the risks of long-term medication use.
4. Gait and Balance Training to Prevent Falls and Joint Strain
When arthritis affects your lower joints, it can throw off your walking pattern. You may not even notice it, but your body starts to compensate—often causing more stress on other areas.
Our therapists assess your gait (how you walk), balance, and posture to identify areas of weakness or instability. Then we retrain your body to move safely and efficiently, improving your balance and reducing the chance of falls or injury.
This is especially important if you’ve had joint surgery or are experiencing pain in multiple joints. Proper movement protects your joints and boosts your confidence when walking, climbing stairs, or returning to your daily activities.
5. Education on Joint Protection Techniques for Daily Life
Physical therapy isn’t just about what happens in the clinic—it’s also about empowering you at home.
We’ll teach you how to:
- Modify your daily movements to reduce joint strain
- Use proper body mechanics when lifting, bending, or reaching
- Adjust your work or home setup to minimize repetitive stress
- Know when to rest vs. when to move
With the right guidance, you can avoid flare-ups and stay active with fewer setbacks.
You Don’t Have to Live With Arthritis Pain
Arthritis may be common—but that doesn’t mean it’s untreatable. With the right physical therapy approach, you can improve your mobility, reduce discomfort, and return to doing what you love.
We’ve helped countless people at Houghton Physical Therapy turn the page on chronic pain and build stronger, more mobile bodies—without relying on surgery or medication.
Schedule Your FREE Discovery Visit
If you’re dealing with arthritis pain and want to take control of your health naturally, we invite you to book a FREE Discovery Visit at Houghton Physical Therapy.
During this no-obligation session, you’ll:
- Speak one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist
- Discuss your arthritis symptoms and goals
- Receive personalized insight into how therapy could help you move and feel better
There’s no pressure, no cost, and no commitment—just real answers from a team that cares.
Call us at 508-223-2300 or click here to book your free visit!
It’s time to stop letting arthritis control your life. Let’s take the first step—together.
More free resources:
Download our free Shockwave Guide: Shockwave Form – Houghton Physical Therapy
Download our free Chronic Pain Guide: Stimpod Form – Houghton Physical Therapy
Read our free blog: Relieve Your Arthritis Pains with Physical Therapy Treatments – Houghton Physical Therapy
Tags: pain, stiff, aches, PT, physical therapy, arthritis, pt near me, arthritis pain
