Adding a boost to joint disease management
Physical exam including bloodwork, CHECK.
Dental cleaning visit, CHECK.
Eye exam, CHECK.
All parts of a solid, annual medical wellness plan aimed at preventive care and promoting overall health.
If you have degenerative joint disease (DJD), which includes osteoarthritis, having regularly scheduled rehabilitation tune-ups, known as booster visits, should be part of your health care regimen.
Help us help you – what to look for in a joint health program
Before you can get a boost, you need to start. For those who suffer from DJD, investing your time in a rehabilitation-based joint health program is the first step for self-care and healthy joints. The program should be led by physical therapy experts trained in joint disease management, be patient-centered and be focused on the activity level and goals of the person seeking relief.
Also involved is education and communication. Being supported by a team who understands the natural progression of joint disease and can inform you on lifestyle changes, self-management and therapeutic treatments to reduce joint pain, improve function and maintain joint health clears the way for success.
Role of a booster visit
So what is a booster visit? Quite simply, it is a touchpoint following an initial course of rehabilitation treatment in the ongoing process of joint health management for those who know they have or are at risk of deterioration of joint function.
Booster visits as part of conservative treatment
In the early stages of DJD, joint health begins with a comprehensive evaluation and series of first-line therapy appointments with a specially trained therapist who is well-versed in best practices aimed at results . Best initiated following initial diagnosis or when identified at high risk of osteoarthritis, this introduction to therapy includes vital measurements of current function level (creating a baseline), assessment of joint health status and implementation of tools and exercises to address any immediate issues or to maintain entry level function.
Once completed, you continue your relationship with your therapy team at six months after discharge and once a year after that to track where you are in your joint disease journey. During these booster visits, new measures are taken to compare to original function level. Open discussions between you and your therapist cover how you are feeling, whether you continue to be able to do all the things you enjoy doing and if they are seeing changes that may impact your movement plan.
Depending on your check-in, your plan may be adjusted to increase intensity level to maintain movement goals or pull back because of joint discomfort flare-ups or to progressively regain strength where there may be loss.
Booster visits after joint replacement surgery
For those further along in their joint disease, booster visits are vital to keep you on track before and after a joint replacement surgery. If you’ve made the decision with your therapist and orthopedic specialist that the time has come for a hip, ankle, shoulder or knee replacement, booster visits can deliver enhanced life out of your new joint.
By this time, hopefully you’ve entered into a rehabilitation program targeted to joint health and established a relationship with your therapy team. If not, never fear, it’s not too late to start. Prior to surgery, your therapists get a good picture of your current joint health by measuring where you are with your motion and function prior to surgery. They may introduce you to a prehabilitation program to build your strength and introduce you to exercises you’ll need after surgery.
As far as booster visits go, these begin following a course of surgical recovery rehabilitation which will be consistent in the weeks following your joint replacement procedure (generally for six-to-twelve weeks in duration).
Once discharged, booster visits occur at regular intervals regardless of whether you are having issues or not. So when should you see us after surgery? Because you will be adjusting to life and movement with your new joint, we like to see you at the six-month and nine-month marks and then yearly after that, assuming you are having no issues.
A look inside a booster visit
A booster visit shouldn’t look much different than your standard course of physical therapy focused on joint health. Your therapist is going to evaluate you and repeat objective measurements you had done at your initial visit. You’ll also have discussions about changes you may be noticing (big and small), limitations you’re experiencing and whether your movement goals have changed (maybe you’ve decided to prepare for a marathon or are now caring for active children on a regular basis).
Your therapist will compare your current measurement scores to your previous score. If outcomes have gone up or down, showing progression or regression in function, your care plan including certain movement exercises may be adjusted. If the decline is significant, it may be recommended you come in for another course of rehabilitation under the guidance of your therapist.
It’s a win for both the therapist and patient when the joint health journey starts early and regular visits happen often. Research shows a consistent therapy plan for joint disease with planned check-ins make for a better success story. Slowing joint decline keeps you moving longer, with better quality, leading to greater enjoyment of the moments life has to offer.
Just when you need it
So what happens if you’re nearing your booster visit or you just had a booster visit and you start to feel changes or experience issues? Call your therapist.
It is not uncommon for your joint health to have unexpected ups and downs on your care plan path. Flare ups happen, joint structures change and not on a scheduled timeline.
That’s the beauty of it all — through a program specializing in joint health, plus booster visits and the ability to address care needs as they arise — you have all you need to stay on top of your health. You become the driver of your joint health instead of a passive passenger along for the ride.
Connection – Keeping you on track with joint health
Why keep up with your joint health program? The answer is in the benefits. Beyond the most notable physical benefits of rehabilitation and keeping movement as medicine for the best version of you, there are bonuses that come from a relationship with a joint health specialist.
You rehabilitation expert is likely tied into community resources, knowing what may work best for you and your plan. They have contacts with other medical specialists, nutritionists, fitness program leaders and more that they can recommend to get the most from your care plan.
They also have strong relationships with orthopedists and orthopedic surgeons. Your therapist, armed with the knowledge of your individual joint health progression, is an excellent resource to you if or when it comes time to think about a joint replacement. Matching your needs with a surgeon or orthopedist when your care reaches the next level can provide a level of trust and guidance in your decision making as you go to the next steps.
Stick to the plan – don’t skip a visit
You may be tempted to skip a booster visit.
The excuses are many — “I’m too busy,” “I’m not having any joint pain,” “I won’t learn anything new.”
Resist the urge to skip.
Just because you don’t have a tooth ache doesn’t mean you’ll skip your regular teeth cleaning with your dentist; after all, you could have a cavity you know nothing about. The same applies to your joint health booster visit. You may be moving through life, not noticing a change or feeling pain, but behind the scenes your joint may be seeing a decline in its mechanics. Booster visits help detect those changes that may not yet be visible to you but are to your therapist.
Sure a visit may result in a, “You’re doing great, see you in a year,” or it may reveal an issue that can be addressed before it gets out of control.
Get every advantage in your claim of good joint health. Commit to a rehabilitation program aimed at prevention and management of DJD, including saying yes to every booster visit and having access to the tools to maintain the life you want and the movement you need.
Clinical contribution to this blog provided by Physical Therapist Michael Kornick.