January 11th is Paget’s Awareness Day. What do you know about this disease? When you have a parent with it, you realize how important physical therapy services are.
What Is Paget’s Disease?
Physical Therapy Delray Beach FL – Paget’s Awareness Day: What Is This Debilitating Disease?Paget’s disease is a chronic condition where bones do not repair properly. Normally, bones go through a continual process of breaking down and healing. With Paget’s disease, they keep growing and building up abnormally. It leads to softer bones that break easily.
Symptoms of Paget’s disease include severe pain in the joints, fatigue, bone deformities, and bones that break easily. Because the disease can seem like arthritis or isn’t discovered until there’s a bone fracture, it’s often overlooked until it’s causing problems.
It’s most common in people aged 55 or older. About 2.5% of U.S. older adults have it. In addition to age, family history and ancestry increase your risk.
Many cases of Paget’s Disease are only discovered after a bone breaks and x-rays are taken. Once it is diagnosed, your dad’s doctor may recommend monitoring it. Sometimes, surgery is required if there are bone fractures or severe arthritis that affects the joints.
How Can You Help Your Dad?
Your dad has been diagnosed with Paget’s disease. What can you do to help him?
Start by making sure he’s supported at home. He needs someone to help him complete household chores like laundry, vacuuming, dishes, making his bed, etc. He needs support when he walks up and down the stairs, gets in and out of the shower, or gets out of bed or up from his favorite chair.
Heighten safety in his home by making sure there are no slippery rugs on his floors. If he has carpeting, make sure nothing is frayed or loose. Add grab bars in the bathroom. Check that the railings on the stairs are secure.
Your dad may not feel safe driving. If he has appointments with his doctor, which may be frequent, make sure he has someone available to escort him. If he needs a cane or walker to move around, a family caregiver should be available to join him on walks or accompany him into the medical office waiting rooms at his doctor, the hospital, and his physical therapy practice.
Make Sure He Get Physical Therapy
If your dad has Paget’s disease, ask his doctor for a referral to get physical therapy. This is extremely important to help maintain his mobility as much as he can.
He needs someone to help him maintain as much movement and mobility as possible. Physical therapy sessions work on reducing pain and making sure he’s able to get around for as long as possible, even if it means using a cane or walker.
Sources: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/pagets-disease-of-bone
If you or a family member need to hire Physical Therapy Services in Delray Beach FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770. We provide service in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Margate, Pompano Beach, and Tamarac.
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