When Joon Park, 78, first walked into Jersey Physical Therapy’s Kendall Park clinic last winter, the osteoarthritis in his lower back was keeping him up at night and making it difficult for him to exercise. He couldn’t walk for more than 5 minutes due to the pain in him back and leg, which is a tough pill to swallow for an avid golfer looking forward to the local courses re-opening in the spring.
Park isn’t alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he joins around 50 million adults in the U.S. who suffer daily from the effects of arthritis, with osteoarthritis its most common form. Fortunately, Park turned to one of the most effective sources for pain management and treatment related to arthritis: physical therapy.
What guidelines should arthritis sufferers follow when considering exercise? That topic and more will be discussed during Jersey Physical Therapy’s free arthritis seminar on Thursday, May 28, 1 to 2 p.m., at the Kendall Park clinic. Titled “Move for Life: Reducing Arthritis Pain with Exercise,” physical therapists will discuss both therapeutic and recreational exercise for people with arthritis and joint pain, answering questions about starting an exercise program, ways to avoid injury, best practices and routines, etc. Light refreshments will be offered, and attendees will have a chance to win him therapy equipment through a raffle.