• Arthritis •
Who Does Arthritis Affect?
When we think of arthritis, usually a picture of an older person comes to mind.
Interestingly, this is not always the case. Arthritis can affect many people younger than those in their later years of life. An informative study carried out by Arthritis Australia reported that over 2.5 million arthritis sufferers in Australia are still of a working age. Interestingly, Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 55 and is often the reason they will visit a chiropractor to help relieve arthritic pain.
What Does Arthritis Mean?
Arthritis is a label given to a large group of medical conditions (over two-hundred types) that can affect the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis may affect nearly all parts of the body and has many different causes and a range of different cures. Whatever is causing the arthritis the focus must be on trying to reduce the pain and swelling and improve the loss of movement usually seen with most arthritis.
There are 3 main categories of arthritic diseases;
- Degenerative such as Osteoarthritis,
- Autoimmune such as Psoriatic or Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Metabolic such as Gout.
Osteoarthritis of the spine, also called spondylosis, joint decay, wear and tear or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is the most common form of arthritis that Chiropractic can be helpful for and is the topic of this page.
What does arthritis do to a joint?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis we see in our Chiropractic clinc and it affects a large number of Australians. Many patients suffering from osteoarthritic pain will often get results and excellent benefits from regular chiropractic care.
In a normal healthy joint, cartilage covers the surfaces of the bone and there is a good supply of synovial fluid within the joint capsule. This fluid is almost like the “WD40” of the joing and both lubricates it and has the nutrients that the joint needs.
In a joint with osteoarthritis the spaces between the bone narrow under stress and load and the cartilage starts to degenerate and wear down. In time the joint surfaces themselves start to rub against one another (when severe- bone on bone) resulting in pain, inflammation and swelling.
In a joint with osteoarthritis the spaces between the bone narrow under stress and load and the cartilage starts to degenerate and wear down. In time the joint surfaces themselves start to rub against one another (when severe- bone on bone) resulting in pain, inflammation and swelling.
Athritis that affects the spine may result in lower back pain, neck pain, swelling, muscle and joint stiffness and tightness and even pain or tingling and numbness that radiates down your arms and legs. The discs in the spine will narrow, become less hydrated, more fibrous and stiff and will be less able to act as a shock absorber in the spine.
As the disease progresses over time this damage will put more stress on the spinal joints which can worsen the arthritis. Many of these syptoms are not part of normal ageing and may be prevented if addressed early enough.
Can Drugs Help Arthritis?
Nonsteriodal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Naprosyn or Ibuprofen can often help in providing pain relief and relief from inflammation when you are in severe pain.
Unfortunately whilst these drugs may be effective in reducing the symptoms they have been associated with many serious side effects such as stomach ulcers, increased risk of serious blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. They can even interfere with the effect of antidepressant drugs. Scientific studies have shown that these drugs don’t do well when used to treat lower back pain on their own.
Does Chiropractic Care help Arthritis?
Our caring professional Chiropractor is focussed on restoring and maintaining both movement and function of the spine and musculoskeletal system.
We aim to improve movement in the joints, relax tight muscles and minimise pain.
Good Chiropractic care along with a balanced diet and a targeted exercise program may well be the answer to slow the progression and prevent your arthritis getting worse. It may also reduce or remove the need for pain related drugs.
Find out if Chiropractic can help your Arthritic Pain
If you suspect that you are suffering from osteoarthritic pain or any other type of spinal pain contact our office. We will arrange for you to have a comprehensive initial consultation and examination to find out if chiropractic care can help you get back to the life you deserve.
