Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition which can affect any joint within the body. It occurs when damage to the joints surface cannot be repaired. Individuals with osteoarthritis often experience joint pain and reduced movement.Unlike other forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis only effects joints and not internal organs. The condition is the most common form of arthritis and affects both men and women equally.

Osteoarthritis is a clinical syndromeof joint pain accompanied by varying degrees of functional limitations and reduced quality of life. Due to the swelling and tenderness of the affected joints, osteoarthritis can limit an individual's abilities to complete day to day activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and cleaning. Living with a long term condition such as osteoarthritis means that self-care activities can become a daily challenge and can affect an individual's motivation greatly. Our Occupational Therapists are experienced professionals who can help individuals adapt the way in which they carry out their daily activities and live a better quality of life with less pain and fatigue.

Our Occupational Therapistsare healthcare professionals who are dedicated to empowering individuals with osteoarthritis live their life to the fullest. Our Occupational Therapists have specialised knowledge and skills to modify environments that will enable individual's with Osteoarthritis to do those things they what and need to do. Our Occupational Therapists also have a thorough understanding of anatomy, pathology and the physical and emotional demands of daily activities. With this our Occupational Therapists can help individuals manage their arthritis more effectively in a number of ways for example, they can provide advice on using joints without straining them, recommend aids and adaptations, modify daily activities and many more.

Problems associated with Osteoarthritis

The symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from person to person and between different joints. Osteoarthritis mostly occurs in the knee, hips, spine and small joints in the hands, however almost any joint can be affected. Osteoarthritis can lead to stiffness and pain in the joints which can affect an individual's abilities to complete the following:

• Washing and dressing
• Mobilising inside and outside the home
• Driving
• Work activities
• Sleeping
• Leisure and social activities
• Household duties- cooking and cleaning

Osteoarthritis is a long term condition which affects an individual's ability to complete the everyday activities. There are a number of treatment approaches our Occupational Therapists can adopt when treating individuals with osteoarthritis, in order to increase their independence and life satisfaction overall. Our Occupational Therapists will comprehensively assess an individual's condition and the impact it is having on their day to day living. From here problems will be identified and a therapeutic plan will be created together with the Occupational Therapist. For individuals with osteoarthritis treatments may include: practical advice on how to grade activities appropriately, aids and adaptations and many more.

Our Occupational Therapists can also analyse an individual's workplace environment and assess how an individual's condition is impacting on their job roles. For example if an individual with osteoarthritis in their hands finds it extremely uncomfortable to complete computer base tasks, our Occupational Therapists can recommend supportive aids such as, wrist and hand braces, which will help reduce the stain. As a result of this treatment individualswill remain independent within the workplace environment.

How can these difficulties impact on function?

Osteoarthritis impacts greatly on an individual's day to day life. The condition not only affects their abilities to function independently but also affects their mood levels. Beneath is a summary of how Osteoarthritis can affect the different aspects of an individual's life:

Home:

• Difficulties feeding
• Difficulties washing and dressing independently
• Difficulties mobilising
• Difficulties completing household duties- Cooking, cleaning, ironing.
• Difficulties getting up and down stairs
• Difficulties manipulating small objects-keys, kitchen utensils, jewellery

Social/behavioural:

• Stigma
• Completing social activities
• Participating in leisure activities
• Feelings of depression and stress

Osteoarthritis affects an individual's ability to participate in social everyday events. For example, individualswith osteoarthritis will often turn down invitations to meet with friends or attend social gathering due to the discomfort they experienced because of their condition.As result individuals miss out onimportant social interactions, which inevitably impact on their mood levels. Our Occupational Therapists can reduce the impact Osteoarthritis has on an individual's social life and provide effective pain management techniques, in order to allow individuals to participate in social interactions more effectively.

Osteoarthritis can affect any joint within the body, meaning it can impact greatly on an individual's movement and abilities to complete everyday activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and cleaning. Our Occupational Therapists are highly experienced and knowledgeable and can promote an individual's independence through the use of grading and adapting self-care activities or through the use of supportive aids.

What exactly is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a long term condition which can affect any joint within the human body. It makes joints feel stiff and painful and is sometimes referred to as 'wear and tear' arthritis. The exact reason for why osteoarthritis develops isn't fully understood at present however, certain factors may increase an individual's risk of developing the condition. For example, genetics, age, obesity, pervious injury to the joint or if other forms of arthritis are present in the joint. Osteoarthritis is associated with a breakdown of cartilage in joints. Cartilage is a firm, rubbery material that covers the ends of the bones in normal joints which reducesfriction and serves as a shock absorber. This sock absorbing quality comes from its ability to change shape when compressed. In individuals with osteoarthritis this cartilage becomes stiff and loses its elasticity, resulting in it becoming more susceptible to damage. Over time, this cartilage can wear away, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock absorber. As this cartilage deteriorates, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing immense pain, and as the condition worsens even further, bones ends of the joint can rub against each other causing more discomfort.

In the UK alone 8.75 million individuals are recorded to have some degree of osteoarthritis. This condition is documented to affect more women than men; however some researchers believe that women are more likely to seek treatment for their osteoarthritis over men. Meaning the original figure could be higher than recorded.

Occupational Therapy assessments suitable for Osteoarthritis

Our Occupational Therapists complete comprehensive assessments in order to gather the relevant information needed to develop appropriate treatment plans, some of the most common assessments completed for those with osteoarthritis are:

• Cognitive assessments
• Functional assessment
• Activities of daily living assessments
• Aids and adaptations assessment
• Risk assessment
• Workplace assessment

In order to accurately increase an individual's independence our Occupational Therapists mustassess functional performance. In order to complete this part of the process our Occupational Therapists may conduct non-standardised assessment such as, observing the individual completing the task, or interviewing the individual and their family members. This ensures assessments are pure and enable treatment plans to truly meet the needs of that individual.

Occupational therapy treatment available

Our Occupational Therapy treatments aim to promote individual's health and well-being through the use of everyday activities. Our therapists are highly experienced and can provide practical support to facilitate recovery or over overcome the barriers that are preventing them from doing activities they need and want to do. Treatments for individuals with osteoarthritis aim to increase an individual's life satisfaction and increase their:

• Functional independence
• Social interaction
• Safety
• Pain management

Our Occupational Therapy treatments have been shown to make dramatic improvements to the lives of individual's diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The flexibility of our treatment means we have something to suit everyone. Our treatments can be carried out individually or in a group, or here in one of our clinics or in the comfort of your own home. Each treatment session is individualised and aim at meeting the needs of every individual.

Summary

Living with osteoarthritis can be extremely difficult and affect an individual's day to day life greatly. Our Occupational Therapists are highly experienced when working with individuals with osteoarthritis and have the in depth knowledge and skills needed to increase an individual's levels of independence. Our Occupational Therapy can make a real difference to individual's lives, giving them a renewed sense of purpose and open new horizons.

How to arrange to see an occupational therapist?

If you feel you or a family member would benefit from ourOccupational Therapy then pleaseemail us with any of your enquires at office@londonot.co.uk or Call us on 02033 937 332