Your physio comes to the rescue in osteoarthritis!

Physiotherapists play a crucial role in managing osteoarthritis of the knee. Based on self-reported data from the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey (2022), 1.8 million Australians (8%) reported having osteoarthritis, with knees and hips the most affected joints.

Reach out to your amazing physio to help you manage your pain that comes with osteoarthritis. Here’s a little of what we may do:

• Assessment and Evaluation. Physios evaluate the individual’s specific condition, including the severity of osteoarthritis, joint mobility, muscle strength, and functional limitations. They assess the person’s movement patterns, posture, and overall physical fitness.

• Customized Treatment Plan. Based on the assessment, physios develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses the individual’s specific needs and goals.

• Exercise Prescription. Physios can prescribe specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint, improve joint stability, and enhance flexibility. These exercises can help alleviate pain, improve range of motion, and optimize overall function. They may include activities like range-of-motion exercises, strengthening exercises, low-impact aerobic exercises, and balance training.

• Manual Therapy. Physios may use manual therapy techniques, such as joint mobilization or soft tissue mobilization, to improve joint mobility, reduce pain, and enhance tissue flexibility. These hands-on techniques can help alleviate stiffness, increase circulation, and improve overall joint function.

• Education and Self-Management. Physios are great at educating individuals about their condition, teaching them about joint protection techniques, proper body mechanics, and strategies to manage pain. They provide guidance on incorporating physical activity into daily routines, ensuring proper technique and avoiding activities that may exacerbate symptoms.

• Assistive Device Prescription. Physios may recommend and provide instruction on the use of assistive devices, such as braces, crutches, or walkers, to support the knee joint, relieve pain, and improve mobility.

• Monitoring and Progression. Physios will closely monitor the individual’s progress throughout the treatment process. They adjust the treatment plan as needed, gradually progressing exercises and activities to ensure continued improvement and prevent setbacks.

 Image by Freepik

The sacroiliac joint is a vital component of the human skeletal system, connecting the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine) to the ilium (part of the pelvic bone). It is often referred to as the SIJ ( sacroiliac joint). It serves a crucial role in transferring forces between the upper body and lower extremities, providing stability and facilitating movement. It is a complex joint, and can create issues in us all, from women in pregnancy and post natal days, sportsmen and women, runners, and those with lower back or lumbar issues. IT has been reported that up to 70% of those suffering from persistent lower back pain will have some element of their pain stemming additionally from the SIJ.  

As the SIJ is a huge weight transfer ‘station’ for loads passing  from our lower extremities to our trunks, the joint is reinforced by many strong ligaments and surrounded by muscles that help support the pelvis and spine.

These reinforcements give the joint incredible stability to cope with the transmission of upper body weight and forces from the spine to the lower extremities during activities such as walking, running, and lifting. It absorbs shock and redistributes forces, ensuring efficient movement and minimizing stress on other joints.

Despite this stability, the SIJ is prone to dysfunction and pain. Injuries, arthritis, pregnancy, or imbalances in the surrounding muscles can lead to dysfunction of this joint, causing pain in the lower back, buttocks, or legs. Diagnosis and treatment of SIJ issues often involve a combination of physiotherapy and exercise. Long rehabilitation programs are often required to improve the muscular support and stability of this very important joint. These programs need to be sport specific, or tailored to each individual’s needs and can include core stability, pelvic alignment exercises, postural stability and gluteal strength.

“Anchor through your tailbone when you are on the mat”

This Pilates cue is a common one when it comes to ensuring your alignment and control of your ‘pelvis and spinal neutral’ postures in class. This is especially so when testing your deep abdominal strength in exercises such as table top. But what does this ‘tailbone’ actually look like? It is anatomically called the sacrum and may not look like what you imagine.

I often get asked about the coccyx with reference to this Pilates cue. When you study this image, you can see that your coccyx is just the tiny bone on the end of the sacrum. it is not through this that you find or control your ‘pelvis neutral’ of ‘heavy tailbone.’   

The sacrum articulates with the iliums of the pelvis on each side. These 2 joints are called the sacro-iliac joints ( you have a left one and a right one), and these are crucial role in providing stability, transmitting forces, and facilitating movement between the upper body and lower extremities.