Arthritis
ARTHRITIS
Do you experience?
– Stiffness in the morning after sleep?
– Pain after prolonged standing and walking?
– Stiffness that is made better with warmth or movement?
Arthritis is a very common condition plaguing our society. It’s thought that it is only a condition that plagues individuals in their twilight years, however, we are seeing more and more patients who are still working age suffering signs and symptoms of arthritic disease. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 55 years.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a term given to a wide range of conditions (over 200 types) that affect the musculoskeletal system. There are many different causes of arthritis, however, regardless of the cause, the most important thing is to reduce the swelling, pain and improve movement.
The most common type of arthritis to affect the spine is osteoarthritis, also known as DJD (degenerative joint disease) or spondylosis.
In a normal healthy joint, the bone surfaces are covered with cartilage with a plentiful supply of fluid around the joint space. In osteoarthritis over time, due to stress, load and abnormal function of the joint, the joint spaces become narrow and the cartilage starts to wear down. When the joint spaces begin to rub together they can cause pain and inflammation.
Over an extended period of time the joint can become damaged and deformed, and in the spine the discs become fibrous, tougher and are less likely to be able to absorb shock.
An X-ray is often used to determine the extent of arthritic damage.
Symptoms of spinal arthritis can often feel like:
– Lower back pain
– Neck pain
– Spinal stiffness
– Muscle tightness
– Radiating pain into arms and legs
These symptoms are often presumed to be part of the normal ageing process. This does have to be the case when the body is functioning well.
How Chiropractic Helps:
Chiropractic care often help the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. By removing the musculoskeletal changes secondary to arthritis, chiropractic can help improve symptoms.
Our chiropractors at Supercharged Chiropractic aim to achieve this by restoring function to the spine, relax tight muscles and remove any aggravating lifestyle factors. Combined with regular specific exercise, it can be a winning combination for individuals suffering arthritic pain.
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