Post-traumatic arthritis can strike after a serious injury or accident. Anything from a car crash to a serious sprain can turn once perfectly fine joints into sources of pain and discomfort.
And if the worse happens, and life throws a nasty surprise at you, it’s a good idea to be aware of the steps you can take to minimise the potential for post-traumatic arthritis. Thankfully there’s a lot you can do to limit and manage how much this condition will affect your day-to-day life.
Minimising the symptoms of post-traumatic arthritis
- Watch your weight. The more strain you place on your joints, the more worn out they get. So trying to carry a little less weight is no bad thing. Easier said than done if your post-traumatic arthritis is affecting your ability to stay active, of course, but a healthy diet can go a long way.
- Careful exercise. If you’re an active person, there’s nothing worse than being held back by injury. But with a little planning and careful thinking outside the box, it’s possible to create an exercise regime that avoids putting strain on the injured joint. Low impact exercises, such as swimming or even a brisk walk, can really help. And staying active has been proven to reduce general pain levels, improve your mood and increase overall reserves of energy.
- Steroid injections. Medical intervention can start with injections, which aim to replace the fluids around your affected joints. As well as painkillers, this treatment can offer relief from post-traumatic arthritis pain.
- Surgery. If pain associated with post-traumatic arthritis is seriously affecting your quality of life, surgical options may be brought into the mix of treatments available to you. These include cleaning up the joint, or even replacing the joint with an artificial device. Whilst more invasive than non-surgical treatments, and with a much longer recovery time, surgery can offer long lasting relief in cases of serious pain, and you should speak to your doctor or physiotherapist if you’re not seeing improvements.
- Splints and braces. Whatever stage of post-traumatic arthritis you’re experiencing, your treatment will benefit from using devices that offer support, compression and comfort to your affected joints. At BeneCare, we offer a selection of splints and braces that can help give you back your freedom, and provide confidence that whilst you’re keeping active, you’re also taking steps to minimise wear and tear on your joints.
BeneCare will support your recovery from post-traumatic arthritis
Don’t be daunted about getting the right support for affected joints. Ask our experts for advice, and we’ll point you in the right direction. It’s all about helping you bounce back from injury, so you can regain the life you had before post-traumatic arthritis struck.
And with our help, you’ll be back to full health in no time!