Having arthritis can be a life-changing event that can affect your personal, social and work life. It can take time to accept and adjust to a diagnosis of arthritis and this can be an emotional and difficult process, through which you will need support. Your family, friends, arthritis support groups and a team of health professionals will be able to offer you that support. A physiotherapist is part of that large team which will help you manage your arthritis.

Physiotherapists are health care professionals who help people resume an active and independent life both at home and at work. They are experts in assessing movement, addressing individual needs, helping to improve function, and managing pain. Some physiotherapists specialise in treating people with arthritis, which affects people in different ways. They can provide you with appropriate aids, such as a walking stick, and teach you how to use these. They also teach you how to protect your joints. Some specialist physiotherapists have been trained to diagnose and treat people with joint and muscle pain – therefore when you are referred by your GP
for specialist treatment, in some places you may be seen by a specialist physiotherapist rather than by a rheumatologist or an orthopaedic surgeon.

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