Corticosteroids for Joint Pain: Friend or Foe?!

Cortisone, also known as a corticosteroid or a steroid, is a hormone your body naturally produces via the adrenal glands. When delivered as a medication, corticosteroids reduce the activity of your immune system, which relieves inflammation and pain for people with different kinds of arthritis (as well as a wide range of other inflammatory diseases). As we know, there is no cure for osteoarthritis so steroid injections are commonly given to help ease that pain. But what if these injections could possibly make that pain worse?

Two small unpublished studies found that on average, knee arthritis advanced more quickly among patients who got corticosteroid injections than those who didn’t. The researchers looked at scans that were taken at the time of the injections, as well as two years before and after, and found more severe cartilage deterioration by the two-year follow-up mark among the steroid-taking group.

Although these studies show that corticosteroids may progress osteoarthritis, it does not mean that there’s no benefit for it for people who suffer from joint pain. Corticosteroids have still shown to be very beneficial for short term pain relief for patients to improve their functional activities.

All in all, corticosteroids should be the last resort when it comes to relieving joint pain. Remember to Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate as your first measure when first experiencing any type of joint pain. Always be sure to consult your physical therapist before you take that final step towards a corticosteroid injection.

Source: Common treatment for joint pain may be linked to faster arthritis progression, research suggests (nbcnews.com)

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Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

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• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook

Rehabon's SPOOKtacular Workout

With Halloween in the forecast, we are bound to consume more candy than we would during other time of the year! Whether it be leftover candy that was meant for trick or treaters, or even stealing some of your favorite candy from the trick or treaters you have at home you’ll need a workout plan to help burn off some of that sugar. Here’s a full body, fat burning circuit that you can do in the comfort of your own home that will help you in not feeling so guilty for binging on all your favorite candy!

We are ready to SPOOK you.

Do 3 to 5 rounds of these exercises in a circuit:

Sit ups: Suck in your belly button to engage your core and perform 10-15 reps!

Push Ups: Start in a plank position flat on the floor, or if that is too difficult for you, you can use a table or a piece of stable furniture with your hands shoulder width apart. Your body should be at a 45° angle with the ground. With your body stable and completely straight, bend the arms to bring the chest close to the table. Push-back to the starting position.

10 Reps!

Overhead Press: Stand by holding weights (if you don't have dumbbells, you can use cans, gallons of milk, bags of candy etc) in your hands with elbows bent 90° and at shoulder-height. Press the weight all the way over your head and lower under control back to the starting position (90°) Keep your torso stabilized by engaging the glutes and abdominals to prevent arching your lower back. 10 reps!

Overhead Squat: Stand with your feet together and bend your knees and hips to lower yourself. Keep your weight on your heels and raise your arms overhead. 10 Reps!

Kicks: Stand with your weight on one leg. Without leaning forward, kick out to the front, to the side, and to the back as prescribed, 10 times each direction keeping the knee straight. All movement should come from the hip. Repeat the sequence with the opposite leg.

*If you have an exercise band you can place it around your ankles for some extra resistance*

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Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

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• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook

5 Outdoor Trails around Downers Grove IL to enjoy during the Fall season

Just because summer has come to an end does not mean that you have to discontinue outdoor activity for this upcoming fall season. So throw on a hoodie alongside your favorite pair of running shoes and enjoy these walking trails in our local Downers Grove area.

1) Hidden Lake Forest Preserve: More than 2 miles of trails wind through Hidden Lake, making it a great destination for hiking, jogging, and even fishing.

2) Maple Grove Forest Preserve Trail: One of the oldest forest preserves in DuPage County, the 81-acre Maple Grove Forest Preserve in Downers Grove is the largest remnant of the vast maple forest that became Downers Grove. This 1.5 mile trail winds through a maple forest which gives you a chance to appreciate the fall leaves!

3) Lyman Woods: The 1.5 mile Lyman Woods Forest Preserve in Downers Grove contains oak woodland, prairie, and marsh habitats for you to enjoy and walk through!

4) Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve: Hikers and bikers can enjoy some of Waterfall Glen’s most scenic areas via four mapped trails containing almost 11 miles of limestone and turf-covered routes.

5) Patriots Park: Explore this 1 mile loop trail that is considered an easier route. It takes an average of 17 min to complete and is a ideal trail for fishing, biking, and running.

Resource: Places to Go-Forest Preserves (dupageforest.org)

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Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

---

• Zuhair Haque, Exercise Specialist at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Zuhair enjoys basketball and he cannot wait to start the DPT program at North Central College in 2023. Zuhair has an extensive experience for working for multiple physical therapy/rehab organizations.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com follow him on Facebook