These benchmarks are general. They complete an exchange with the professionals who follow you and do not replace a diagnosis or an individualized program.
Benchmark 01
Observe before changing everything
A sensitive shoulder when you hang clothes, a knee that bothers the stairs, a painful hip on the walk: the first marker is a concrete situation. Note the gesture, its duration, the time of day and what happens next. This observation prepares a useful exchange with the professional; it is not used alone to make a diagnosis.
Choose a simple indicator, e.g. get out of a chair or go shopping to the kitchen. Keep the same indicator for a few days to compare. Test yourself constantly, look for all the painful movements or measure each amplitude can make follow-up confused. The goal is to find an activity that counts, not to get a perfectly symmetrical body.
Benchmark 02
Shoulder and upper limb: bring together, distribute, vary
For a height task that becomes uncomfortable, bring the material closer together and split the working time. Place frequently used objects at an accessible height. To carry a load, reduce the weight of each trip or divide the bags if this helps. At the office, avoid leaving a mouse too far away and forcing you to keep your arm out for a long time.
These adaptations are reversible tests. They do not require to keep shoulders in a particular position all day long. After a fracture, luxation or operation, movement and load restrictions are specific: a program found online should not replace them.
Bench 03
Hanche and knee: adjust the movement dose
If the walk or stairs trigger a known and previously evaluated discomfort, compare several small exits to a single long exit. A flat course can be easier to tolerate than a slope; a slightly higher seat can make a transfer more comfortable. An available ramp is a help, not a failure.
Strengthening may have its place, but the right exercise and its level depend on the balance sheet. The following AAOS programs have many movements: they are designed to be selected with a doctor or physiotherapist. Making all the pages next is not a strategy of progress.
Benchmark 04
Foot and ankle: supports, shoes and terrain
Comfortable shoes, adapted to the activity and shape of the foot, avoid unnecessary stress. A new or very different shoe is discovered over modest periods before a long hike. Pain does not automatically imply the need for a sole; the interest of an aid is discussed according to the problem identified.
After a sprain, the absence of pain at rest is not enough to allow the resumption of a sport with jumps and steering changes. Walking, strength, balance and sports actions are gradually being evaluated. Don't try to "fit" an ankle or toe in place yourself.
Bench 05
Osteoarthritis: Maintaining a Motion Project
A diagnosis of osteoarthritis does not mean that the joint must be put to rest forever. The possibilities vary according to people, joints and periods. The challenge is to organize activity, useful treatments and, if necessary, daily help around your goal.
Avoid interpreting isolated joint noise as evidence of wear that accelerates. On the other hand, new pain, lasting stiffness or swelling are worth noting: not all joint pain is osteoarthritis. The advice on this page does not promise to rebuild cartilage or prevent any damage.
Bench 06
Switch from a video to a chosen practice
Before an illustrated exercise, check the area concerned, the context of injury or operation, equipment and precautions indicated. Look at the full demonstration before you start. If the movement doesn't seem clear to you, keep the question for your next appointment rather than adding load.
A useful progression is also recognized in real life: a better tolerated task, an easier exit or regained confidence. If a trial permanently increases the discomfort, go back to a simpler version and take stock. Acute pain, instability or malaise requires cessation.
A first step
Preparing for a daily adaptation
Example of organization to adapt to your situation, without performance objective.
- Choose one task that bothers you.
- Reduce its duration or load, without multiplying the simultaneous changes.
- Observe your comfort during and after, then write down a question for your professional.
Traps to avoid
- Confound cracking and lesion.
- Carry out a post-operative program without knowing its restrictions.
- Force swollen joint or attempt manipulation.
When can I ask for an opinion?
After trauma, impossibility of support, deformation, loss of sensitivity or cold tip require rapid or even urgent assessment. A red, warm and swollen joint with fever imposes a notice without delay. An arm pain associated with chest pain or malaise is 15 or 112.
Your questions
Do you need a radio before you move?
It depends on the context. The doctor decides whether imaging is useful; it is not necessary in the face of any discomfort, but some traumas or symptoms justify it.
Can I choose a reinforcement program alone?
General resources are used to understand options. If you have a recent pain, injury or operation, have the exercises selected and adapted.
Does a walking aid mean I'm falling back?
Properly chosen help can make an activity safer and more accessible. His interest and adjustment can be discussed with a professional.
The documentary selection
See, read, deepen
Adapt activities and organize follow-up, in the context of diagnosed osteoarthritis.
www.ameli.frGuide / resource · FrenchHAS — Understand ankle dentorsPatient information on assessment and management of the ankle.
www.has-sante.frGuide / resource · EnglishAAOS — illustrated shoulder programmeRehabilitation program to be selected with the doctor or physiotherapist.
www.orthoinfo.orgGuide / resource · EnglishAAOS — illustrated knee programDirectory of movements; do not apply the set without adaptation.
www.orthoinfo.orgGuide / resource · EnglishAAOS — foot and ankle program (PDF)Illustrated sheets and precautions, after appropriate assessment.
orthoinfo.aaos.orgGuide / resource · EnglishNHS — understanding osteoarthritisPresentation of the disease and management options.
www.nhs.uk