The following excerpt is taken from APTA's web page on Arthritis at: http://www.apta.org/ptandbody/showcontent.cfm?content_id=12893 It certainly looks like the APTA is quickly moving to expand PT's scope of practice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Education And Self-Management. Even if you�re undergoing physical therapy for arthritis, there will be many days when you will be making important decisions on your own. That�s why physical therapists emphasize teaching people about their disease and about how to cope with it on a day-to-day basis. Physical therapists can teach you to recognize the times when you need to rest and also help you make safe and reasonable decisions about activities that may aggravate flare-ups. For example, there are some RA patients who enjoy sports and who aren't about to let arthritis deprive them of this pleasure. And yet an injury can greatly complicate arthritis treatment. There are many trade-offs involved in living with arthritis, and your physical therapist can give you the information you need to make reasonable choices and maintain a greater degree of control over your life. Pacing yourself and conserving your energy are also significant concepts in self-management. People with arthritis often function better if their daily activities are measured in small doses followed by short periods of rest. Energy conservation may involve re-thinking your home environment to minimize reaching, bending, and unnecessary trips up and down the stairs. Furthermore, special devices such as long-handled �grabbers� can eliminate the need for reaching into high shelves and closets, and canes and walkers can take pressure off your knees and hips. Kitchen utensils with larger handles can also help, as can carts for hauling laundry. Work simplification�such as organizing your kitchen to eliminate unnecessary movement and reaching, and rearranging your bathroom so that items are at waist height�is another skill taught by physical therapists. In addition, your physical therapist will train you to protect your joints by using your larger, stronger joints to perform everyday tasks. Clothing modification can also make living with arthritis easier�even something as simple as elastic shoelaces can help reduce stress on your joints. If you have problems in your legs, feet, or hips, your physical therapist may assist you in selecting appropriate shoes, or fit you for custom-made orthopedic shoes or orthotic inserts. This special footwear can help accommodate foot deformity or problems with movement linked to arthritis. ======================================================================= *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] *********��***********
