World Physiotherapy Day 2023

 

It's world physical therapy (Physiotherapy)Day...

Physiotherapy is a Noble profession that is recognized globally, surprisingly it has so much recognition in Nigeria because physiotherapist are involved in patient care too. 

This year's world Physiotherapy  theme is Arthritis,Rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondylarthritis which are the two types of inflammatory arthritis 

Art

hritis is defined as an acute or chronic joint inflammation. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, stiffness, and redness which may contribute to reduced function and dexterity. 

Arthritis isn’t a single condition; there are many different types. 

It can affect people of all ages and physical fitness – including children, teenagers, and athletes. Some forms of arthritis are more common in older people.

Whatever specific type of arthritis you have, remaining physically active and choosing healthy lifestyle behaviours will help you stay mobile and able to participate in activities that are meaningful to you.

Arthritis can make life difficult by reducing mobility and making everyday activities harder to do. It can affect people's ability to work and participate in social and leisure activities. Arthritis is commonly associated with depression or anxiety. 

The symptoms of arthritis can vary from week to week, and even from day to day. However, with the right treatment and approach you can manage your symptoms and live well. 

There are various types of arthritis Some of the most common include:

•osteoarthritis

•rheumatoid arthritis

•spondyloarthritis (including axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis)

•gout

•juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

Symptoms of arthritis;

Arthritis affects people in different ways and each condition will have specific symptoms. 

However, some common joint symptoms are:

•joint pain

•stiffness (particularly early morning)

•inflammation (swelling) 

•warm or red skin over the affected joint

•weakness and loss of muscle mass

Certain types of arthritis can have symptoms not directly related to your joints:

•widespread pain

•extreme fatigue

•scaly, itchy skin (psoriasis)

•changes to finger or toe nails

•rashes

•fever

•weight loss

•symptoms that affect other body systems, including eyes, heart, lungs and nerves.

How physiotherapy can help;

It’s important to stay active and keep moving when you have arthritis. Physiotherapists are part of a multidisciplinary teamthat can help you manage your arthritis. They will be able to assess your condition and abilities and guide you on how to keep active and help manage your symptoms. A physiotherapist can work with you and your other health care providers to co-develop a tailored management plan to help you get back to what’s important to you. 

Strategies might include:

•devising an exercise programme tailored to your needs 

•building your strength, stamina, mobility, and activity levels

•helping you find the balance between rest and activity

•helping you identify helpful lifestyle choices

•supporting you to develop skills to manage pain, swelling, and stiffness

•helping you modify activities at work and home

•assess you holistically and help you access care from other professionals, such as medical specialists, psychologists, occupational therapists and others.

Another important topic from the theme for this year's PT day is rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis and one of the most common. It is an autoimmune disease that most commonly affects the joints of the hands, wrists, shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles and feet.

It can affect adults of any age, but most commonly starts among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It’s more common in women than men. 

Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis;

There are a number of symptoms that may suggest RA, these vary from person to person. The 

most common include:

•swollen and painful joints for more than 6 weeks

•swelling and stiffness in joints in the morning (lasting more than 30 minutes)

•severe tiredness (fatigue)

•a general feeling of being unwell and possible loss of weight 

•loss of stamina 

•loss of muscle bulk

•reduced ability to do daily activities, eg at work, home, and leisure

•skin lumps (nodules), eye dryness or redness. 

Axial Spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) is a type of spondyloarthritis – that is an arthritis that most commonly affects the spine. Axial SpA is an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the bones, joints and ligaments of the spine and pelvis, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. It can also cause tendon pain, inflammation of the eye (uveitis) and symptoms in other joints away from the spine. A common subset of axial SpA is ankylosing spondylitis (AS). 

Axial SpA and AS usually start in the late teens or early 20s, it is equally common in males and females

Symptoms of axial SpA

Pain in the pelvis and back are the main symptoms of axial SpA. It particularlyaffects the sites 

at which tendons and/or ligaments join onto bone. The most commonly affected region are the 

sacroiliac joints. Other symptoms and signs of axial SpA include:

pain and stiffness at the lower back, buttocks, mid-back or neck

•pain and stiffness typically worse at night or after prolonged rest

•pain and stiffness which improves with activity

•joint pain and swelling in the limbs, which can be on different sides and may move around

•swelling of fingers and/or toes

•waking at night with symptoms, especially in the second half of the night

•symptoms that significantly improve with anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen

•recurrent tendon pain, egAchilles tendon pain, tennis elbow, patella (knee cap) 

tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis (base of heel pain)

•decreased ability to do daily activities including work, home and recreational interests

•fatigue or tiredness

•other organs can also be affected withongoing inflammation, including the eyes (uveitis), the skin (psoriasis), and the digestive system (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel disease)

The role of physiotherapy

People with axial SpAshould be referred to a physiotherapist to start an individualised, 

structured exercise programme, which should include:

•spinal and other joint mobility exercises, including stretching and postural exercises

•muscle strengthening exercises

•deep breathing

•aerobic exercise

A physiotherapist will also provide advice on:

•education about the condition

•how to self manage

•practical pain coping strategies

•activity pacing

•reintegration to work and social activities

•support to adopt healthy behaviours

•management of common co-morbid conditions – tendon pain, osteoporosis

Physiotherapists play an important role in helping people with axial SpA manage pain and maintain participation in daily work, home, and recreational activities. 

The love for physical therapy.