Advertorial Better together Arthritis Care and AposTherapy have created a new partnership T his year marks the start of a new enterprising healthcare partnership between innovators in musculoskeletal health and biomechanical technology, AposTherapy, and Arthritis Care. Judi Rhys, chief executive of Arthritis Care, said: We are delighted to be developing a partnership with AposTherapy to support more people living with osteoarthritis. It is encouraging to see a company taking arthritis seriously and coming up with an innovative biomechanical intervention for people with lower limbarthritis. The importance of muscles in osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is recognised as changes to the structure of the joint as cartilage wears down and bones become damaged. However, it is a lesser-known fact that along with these structural changes muscles and soft tissue around the joint also change, and therefore affect the joint control and how we move. A person with osteoarthritis may notice different movements or compensations occurring while they are walking, especially as painful symptoms develop over time. What we commonly refer to as a limp is actually a change in the neuro-muscular control of the joint, which affects the co-ordinated and smooth normal movement that we expect. Neuro-muscular control, in its simplest form, can be explained as the way muscles activate in unison to ensure normal movement occurs. Conservative treatments have focused on improving neuro-muscular control through strengthening and stretching exercises. However, it can be difficult to perform a lot of these exercises when pain is present. How we can help An AposTherapy device can assist with this by reducing pain while patients complete functional tasks, which would normally aggravate symptoms. At the same time, the controlled instability given by the device can stimulate compensating muscles to work in a more controlled way again. As treatment progresses, neuro-muscular control is restored so that patients can continue to move with reduced pain and improved function even when not wearing the device. This is important because the act of movement is a very effective way to manage the pain of osteoarthritis. The less active we are, the worse the condition will become in the long term. The benefits of moderate, controlled exercise outweigh the potential for further joint damage. A good plan of action is to continue with manageable physical activities, but take frequent rests. For example, if someone with osteoarthritis was previously able to walk comfortably for an hour, then they should change their pattern to take rests every 10 minutes. Taking frequent rests can reduce muscle fatigue and overall day-to-day pain. While osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, this does not mean that it has to be a downward spiral. Much can be done to improve symptoms and improve function. If muscles are trained to work effectively, then there is likely to be an improvement in pain and a persons ability to continue doing the things they enjoy. More info You can find out more about how to improve your osteoarthritis through exercise at your local Arthritis Care branch or group meeting. Experienced physiotherapists from AposTherapy will be attending regional Arthritis Care meetings over the coming months. They will discuss ways of managing the symptoms of osteoarthritis and will be able to advise those attending on appropriate courses of action. If you would like a physiotherapist to visit your branch, please call 020 7380 6560. n For more information on AposTherapy, click here
