Arthritis is a chronic condition. It affects people on an ongoing, constant or recurring basis over months, years, even a lifetime.
At LiquidGym, arthritis is treated in water and on land, by physiotherapists and kinesiologists, depending on what your joints need and where you are starting from.
Arthritis is a term used to describe a group of over 100 diseases characterized by inflammation in the joints or other areas of the body.
Inflammation is a medical term that describes redness and swelling which causes pain and, when in the joints, can also cause stiffness.
Arthritis, arthro meaning joint and itis meaning inflammation, can involve almost any part of the body. It most often affects the hip, knee, spine, or other weight-bearing joints, but is also found in the fingers and other non-weight-bearing joints. Some forms of arthritis can also affect other parts of the body.
Arthritis conditions are grouped into two broad categories: Osteoarthritis and Inflammatory Arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis sits under Inflammatory Arthritis.
We treat many forms of arthritis at LiquidGym. The two most common are below.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It affects more Canadians than all other forms of arthritis combined, more than 4 million Canadians, or 1 in 7 adults.
OA is a progressive disease of the whole joint that leads to breakdown of joint cartilage and the underlying bone.
The joints most commonly affected are the knees, hips, hands and spine.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that can affect multiple joints in the body. It is an autoimmune disease, where the body's immune system, which normally functions to protect us against infections, mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints.
Inflammation in the joints causes pain, stiffness and swelling. If this inflammation continues, it can lead to damage of the joint. The cause of this malfunctioning immune system is still unknown.
Water immersion allows patients to perform movements they may be unable to perform on land. Exercises can be performed with greater ease and less pain due to the buoyancy created by the water.
The upward force of buoyancy counterbalances the downward effects of gravity and greatly decreases the impact forces your body is subjected to in traditional land therapy sessions.
Standing chest deep in water, your body weight can be reduced by up to 80 percent. Someone weighing 200 pounds on land may weigh as little as 40 pounds in the water.
That is what makes it possible to safely perform exercise therapy that land would not allow.
Whether you are going in for orthopedic surgery, a prehab program may help with your recovery and post-surgical outcomes.
It is never too early to start pre-op therapy, also known as prehab, but starting at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to your scheduled surgery is recommended.
Post-op therapy, also known as rehab, when done through hydrotherapy, can generally begin once the incision has healed, which can be between 15 and 30 days depending on the surgery. Ask your doctor when they would like you to start.
Arthritis is treated across two of our therapies. Which one is right for you depends on your stage, your goals and what your joints will tolerate.
Assessment, treatment and a plan of care for pain, stiffness and loss of function, including pre-op and post-op programs around joint replacement.
Explore Physiotherapy →An individualized exercise program built around how you move, in water, on land, or both, progressing toward independence.
Explore Kinesiology →For an assessment and a detailed plan of care, call LiquidGym at 613-820-8228 to book an appointment with one of our therapists.
