Although many other conditions receive more attention, did you know that about 53 million Americans have arthritis? In fact, medical care for arthritis costs over $140 billion a year, and this amount is expected to continue growing as life expectancy gets longer for people in general. But perhaps arthritis doesn’t have to disable so many, or perhaps it can be treated with milder, more natural options. Keep reading to learn more about this condition and how chiropractic care can offer better solutions.
What Is Arthritis?
Simply put, arthritis pain occurs when any joint in the body or the surrounding supportive tissues wear down, causing discomfort and limited use. Generally, two types make up most arthritis cases: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoporosis often results from injury to a joint and from everyday wear and tear over time. For instance, if you’ve sustained knee injuries or been especially active in the past, you could be at a higher risk for osteoporosis as you get older.
On the other hand, no one truly knows of one underlying cause for rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which antibodies attack healthy joint tissue. In either case, pain resulting from arthritis can be debilitating, frustrating, and restrictive.
How Is Arthritis Usually Treated?
In traditional medicine, arthritis researchers have made some recent discoveries that can help slow down joint damage and alleviate pain, but these newer medications often come with unpleasant symptoms. These medications may still be worth exploring with your doctor, especially for rheumatoid arthritis, but they may not provide full relief.
Prolonged use of painkillers can pave the way to addiction and other risky health issues, making them less appealing treatment options. Injections and joint replacement surgery for more advanced cases take a long time to recover from, especially for the elderly. Needless to say, arthritis treatment typically is invasive, may only last temporarily, and may include side effects you don’t want.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help Arthritis Sufferers?
Fortunately, your chiropractor offers alternatives with more natural, less invasive techniques. A chiropractic adjustment, for instance, makes sure your joints and tissues are properly aligned, which can take pressure off certain nerves. When everything is oriented correctly, it all functions like it should with less pain and less inflammation. In addition, your chiropractor can teach you simple ways to relieve pain without drugs, such as using heat and cold therapy as well as certain stretches or mild exercise. Once you’ve overcome the main symptoms of your arthritis, your chiropractor can also give you directions for proper posture to reduce flare ups.
Obviously, some traditional treatments may still be necessary, but if more arthritis patients took advantage of chiropractic care, maybe they could spend less on pain medication, maybe they could do more with their loved ones, and maybe they could have a higher quality of life.
About the Author
At AlignRight Chiropractic, Dr. Zinovy Chukhman utilizes many techniques to get his patients out of pain. He is proficient in Graston, Gonstead, flexion-distraction, and other protocols. He is also certified in all 4 parts by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners in physical rehabilitation. If you have arthritis and would like to explore other options, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with our practice in Richardson by calling 972-907-2800 or visiting our Contact Us page.
Follow