I’m responding to the most thought-provoking, relatable, and even surprising things you’ve shared. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me?”—this one’s for you. Let’s talk through it together. We will discuss pain with walking, deciding on surgery, quads or glutes and much more! When I started this channel, my goal was to provide the best resources and support for those with osteoarthritis. As a physical therapist I know firsthand how powerful movement can be for osteoarthritis relief. There can...
May 20, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Stretching isn't the best for tight hamstrings...❌ Instead, strengthening the hamstrings can be effective in reducing both pain and tightness! Stretching may actually increase irritation to the muscle. Specific strengthening exercises can make your hamstrings feel flexible and mobile again. One of the main reasons muscles become tight is due to weakness. Your body then turns to tightening the muscle to achieve stability. This is why hamstring strengthening can be incredibly effective. Join Dr. A...
Sep 03, 2024•13 min
It is POSSIBLE to find relief from stiff joints in the morning! You just need the right strategies to help you. Stiff joints in the morning is a common symptom of osteoarthritis. It may take up to 30 minutes of moving around for the stiffness to subside. There may even be accompanying joint pain as well. You are not alone in experiencing this. As a physical therapist, I wanted to shed light on how you can reduce both morning stiffness and joint pain so you can set yourself up for success during ...
Aug 20, 2024•15 min
Food can have incredible anti-inflammatory effects! Eating the right foods can contribute to reduced arthritis pain, reduced stiffness and can help to preserve the joint, preventing progression of osteoarthritis. Including certain foods into your osteoarthritis diet can make you feel so much better and give you more freedom to move. In this video, join Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, physical therapist and osteoarthritis as she explains which foods can be beneficial in reducing inflammation and helping your ar...
Jul 09, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 76
It is possible to prevent the spread and progression of osteoarthritis ✅ In order to do so, it's important to make sure you understand what osteoarthritis is and what is actually going on inside of your joints...as many people are led astray. Osteoarthritis is not solely a "wear and tear" condition and this is good news because it means relief is possible. Research has uncovered that inflammation is one of the big drivers in the progression of osteoarthritis. Taking a look at what increases infl...
Jul 02, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Your entire body is connected. The way each joint moves and how strong each is matters. One of the biggest mistakes I see people making as a physical therapist is only focusing on the painful joint. For example, when dealing with knee pain- most people only do localized exercises for the knee- ignoring the rest of the body. In order to be successful in pain relief, strength and mobility- you have to focus on the big picture. This episode discusses what you need to know and how to get started. If...
Apr 11, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Surprisingly enough, cycling may not be as effective as you think. But when you look at the reasoning, it begins to make sense... I recently came across a research article titled: " Stationary cycling exercise for knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis " that looked into if cycling is effective at reducing certain symptoms for those with knee osteoarthritis. It turns out, it can be helpful for pain but not so much for long term stiffness and mobility. In this episode I'll sha...
Feb 23, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In this episode of "Adventuring with Osteoarthritis," Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, a physical therapist and osteoarthritis specialist, shares five crucial things that everyone should know about arthritis. Despite living with arthritis, it is still possible to lead a life filled with adventure and joy. Dr. Kuhn emphasizes that pain is not always an indication of negative joint changes and explores the importance of understanding the messages your body is sending. She also debunks the belief that surgery is t...
Nov 08, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Laura is a member of the signature membership, Adventurers for Life. She was a runner who started to develop knee pain which turned out to be severe osteoarthritis. She took up walking but then started to notice pain in the other knee, which was later diagnosed as bone on bone. Fast forward to today where she returned from a trip to Scotland a few months ago with this win: "My win is when I traveled to Scotland in July, I was able to walk at least 15,000 steps a day. I was walking on cobblestone...
Oct 30, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Jane is a member of the signature membership program, Adventurers for life. She has been dealing with knee pain and knee osteoarthritis for a few years. One year ago today she was having difficulty climbing stairs, walking longer distances, standing up from chairs and thought being able to get on the ground was a thing of the past. Now she is feeling stronger and more confident than ever! She is able to kneel on the ground without thinking about it, able to climb stairs with ease and accomplish ...
Oct 26, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Whether you are currently an athlete, was one in a former life or are looking to take on an athletic endeavor in the future- this episode is for you. I am joined by Tenille Hoogland who is a coach for cyclists, runners, and triathletes. Coming from an extensive background of triathlons herself- she garnered many life lessons in her training that began to spill over into a coaching career. We discussed: 1. What is arguably more important than the physical training 2. How to become more athletical...
Oct 19, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Consistency is one of the biggest contributors to results. Have you found yourself "falling off the wagon"? Do you start somthing but have a hard time sticking with it? In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Kuhn PT discusses why consistency can be difficult and how she created her brand new membership, Adventurers for Life, to fill in the gaps and help catapult you to success. Take the next step towards your arthritis adventure journey and make pain relief possible by joining Adventurers for Life . Follow...
Aug 09, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 68
As a guest on the Bob and Brad podcast, we discussed the most important facts about osteoarthritis that can help you on your path to pain relief. Oftentimes, you may be told you have osteoarthritis but are given a very limited explanation as to why you are in pain and what you can do about it. As a physical therapist I have made it my mission to fill in the gaps and show you what is truly possible despite having osteoarthritis. In this interview, I discuss with Mike from the Bob and Brad podcast...
Jul 11, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Knee osteoarthritis may have slowed her down, but this ex-strongwoman competitor refused to give up on her dreams - see how she's making a comeback! Now finding adventure hiking seaside trails, she's unlocking many more adventures. It can be incredibly common to feel stuck after a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, unsure where to turn next. If you want to be active with osteoarthritis and find pain relief, it is possible! You just need the right steps forward. We discuss Rachel's: - strong woman comp...
May 09, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 66
If you feel like you have tried everything but still haven't found pain relief, you are not alone. When it comes to arthritis pain relief, there are factors to consider that can increase pain that some people miss. The main priorities are food, sleep, and movement but there are in fact other factors that contribute too. In this episode we will discuss the other common reason pain continues and how to understand what this continued pain means. This episode is all about gaining a new perspective t...
Apr 04, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Skiing is possible with osteoarthritis. The biggest challenge is simply making sure your body and your joints are prepared for the forces through your joints. Skiing takes a certain degree of strength and control in order to be successful in avoiding high levels of pain while out on the mountain. In this episode, Alyssa is joined by Greg Louie, a physical therapist known as “The Ski PT”. You’ll learn: What you need to consider to prepare your joints for skiing Why balance is something you should...
Mar 28, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 64
If you want to learn how to walk further and faster- we have the episode for you! Join Alyssa with her guest Joy who is a fellow physical therapist and the Clinical Evidence Specialist for Urban Poling, a company who produces specialized walking poles and programs. In this episode we discussed: Why walking poles are beneficial even if you think you don’t need them How they can be beneficial to arthritic joints in particular What the research says Powerful case study Website: urbanpoling.com Inst...
Mar 21, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Unsure where to start video: https://youtu.be/enhBZ0VM1tM Did you know that insulin resistance and blood sugar control play a huge role in the development and the progression of osteoarthritis? If you are dealing with joint pain and haven't been able to find relief, insulin resistance could be the culprit. In this video learn the connection between insulin, cartilage, inflammation and insulin resistance. Learn the top things you can do to reverse insulin resistance and how to get started even wi...
Mar 07, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Dr. Emily Warren, PT, DPT is a fellow physical therapist here in Utah and specializes in helping patients with pain related to their spine. Today we discussed sciatica, a common injury many people with osteoarthritis face. There are some considerations when it comes to treatment as well as preventing it from coming back. One of the most common symptoms of sciatica is pain down your leg but it can actually come from different sources. We discussed: What are some of the causes of sciatica pain Why...
Feb 28, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Have you recently taken a break from exercise because life happened and you got busy? Breaks happen but the most important thing is getting back into the swing of consistent movement and making it a priority again. There are 3 considerations when getting back into a routine to help avoid setting off a flare, injuring yourself, or increasing your pain levels. These three things are: Increase frequency of rest Shorten workouts Consider full body moves Take the next step towards your arthritis adve...
Feb 21, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Have you ever wondered how much movement you really need when it comes to finding arthritis pain relief and feeling stronger? There are different goals based upon two things: Your pain levels Your current level of activity When just starting out and/or with higher levels of pain, including 5-10 minutes of purposeful movement into your day can be incredibly helpful. If you have a higher fitness level and/or your pain levels are lower, aiming for 3 workouts per week is a good goal to start with de...
Feb 14, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 59
As a physical therapist who specializes in helping people find osteoarthritis pain relief and unlock adventure, I wanted to share the top 5 things I would never do. The goal of this video is to give you your power back when it comes to finding arthritis pain relief and let you know what is possible. Words can be extremely powerful. Remember you do have power. In this episode I discuss: 1. How important physical activity really is 2. Ignoring pain is not healthy 3. Why words matter 4. Second opin...
Jan 31, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 58
7 minute seated youtube routine: https://youtu.be/M0lLstyOqRw In this episode Dr. Alyssa, PT discusses how to get started with exercise even if it feels impossible, even if everything hurts. It’s all about understanding how to reduce the size of the barrier that is standing in your way of getting started. Whether it’s time, confusion on what exercise to do, hesitation because everything hurts- it is possible to get started and make your arthritic joints feel good. Here she discusses a simple pla...
Jan 24, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Buff Bones Website: https://buff-bones.com/ Buff Bones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotbuffbones/ In this episode, Rebakah Rotstein of Buff Bones and I discuss: What osteoporosis/osteopenia is Rebekah’s own story with osteoporosis Are medications needed? What you need to be asking your doctor about How significant exercise needs to be in your life Osteoporosis can exist with osteoarthritis, the problem is- osteoporosis can go undetected for a long time. Unless you have a fracture, it may...
Jan 17, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Find out more about the Arthritis Adventure Blueprint at: https://arthritisadventure.com Linda is a member of the Arthritis Adventure Blueprint, my signature online program walking you through how to find confidence both physically and mentally with osteoarthritis. With all the discouragement that is out there, it is totally normal to feel frustrated, confused, and angry about osteoarthritis. But it doesn’t have to be that way forever. It is possible to gain a new perspective along with mobility...
Jan 10, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Please listen to episode 54 FIRST: X-rays and MRIs do not decide surgery, what you need to know before you make a decision https://www.buzzsprout.com/1886674/episodes/11934530 In this episode Dr. Alyssa, PT discusses 4 patient stories of what they were told about their x-rays and how they moved forward to success. Without the right direction, looking at an MRI or x-ray can be scary- especially if you’re told you are bone on bone or “have the knees of an 80 year old”. You’ll hear each short story...
Jan 03, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Blog post on how to decide on a joint replacement surgery: https://keeptheadventurealive.com/how-do-you-know-if-you-need-a-joint-replacement/ One of the biggest misconceptions about osteoarthritis is that the x-ray or MRI of your joint tells the whole story about the pain you’re experiencing. Upwards of 75-80% of people have arthritic changes on an x-ray but do not experience frequent joint pain… The image of your joint does not correlate with the intensity of pain you may be experiencing. There...
Dec 27, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Learn what to prioritize every day with arthritis in this episode with Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, physical therapist and osteoarthritis specialist as she discusses the most important treatment aspects when searching for arthritis pain relief. The three keys of variety, quality sleep, and adding in anti-inflammatory foods can help you get started towards your arthritis adventure. Sleep blog post: https://keeptheadventurealive.com/how-to-sleep-with-lower-back-pain/ Anti-inflammatory foods blog post: https:/...
Dec 20, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Walking can be challenging, especially with spine, hip, knee, and/or ankle osteoarthritis. The common way of thinking is if you want to get better at something, you just need more repetitions. With walking this actually isn’t the case. In this episode, Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, PT explains why and how to break through the plateau and actually get closer to your goals! Walking longer distances, shopping, traveling- it’s all possible with the right steps. Learn how to walk longer distances: https://keepthe...
Dec 13, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 52
According to the Journal of Rheumatology (Wolfe et al 2005), “jaw pain is present in about 19% of patients with RA and OA, and is primarily a marker for a general pain increase and symptom sensitivity problem” PMID: 16331775 I brought on today’s guest to talk about jaw pain, jaw arthritis, and any secondary pain associated with it because it is something that is rarely talked about. Dr. Liana Sved is a physical therapist and myofascial therapist who specializes in helping people with jaw pain. R...
Dec 06, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 51
