Chiropractic Treatment for Arthritis

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis means joint inflammation and there are over 200 different types of arthritis that can affect both young and old people.

Arthritis can affect different parts of the body and each type has a different cause. It is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints and in some cases can also affect the soft tissues of the body such as ligaments, lungs and heart valves.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years.

The Different types of Arthritis

• The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a result of repetitive trauma of the joint and is more common as we get older. There is evidence to suggest that abnormal anatomy, deformity of a joint, such as in hip dysplasia, might contribute to the early development of osteoarthritis. Poor nutrition, poor nerve- and blood supply and immobilisation are also contributory factors.
• Other forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis are autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself. These types of arthritis are more common to see in younger people.
• Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection and can either be viral or bacterial.
• Gout on the other hand is a metabolic condition, which is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also a more uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of crystals of calcium pyrophosphate (CPPD). This type of gout is also known as pseudogout.

How can Chiropractic help?

Most arthritic conditions benefit greatly from Chiropractic treatment and should be considered as an adjunct to medical care, particularly osteoarthritis, which is the most common type of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is often treated with anti-inflammatory medication and nothing else. This is a mistake. Using anti-inflammatory medication in the long term has been shown to impair the healing rate of cartilage and can also cause damage to the lining of the stomach and result in fatal stomach bleeds, particularly in the elderly. Fortunately there are better ways to manage osteoarthritis.

If you receive chiropractic treatment, including laser treatment, regular, gentle exercise and improve your diet, you can reduce your need to take anti-inflammatory medication, which is great news. In fact some patients have been able to stop taking them all together.

With regard to the inflammatory arthriditis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), there is not a real cure for these conditions.

Although, they have their natural peaks and troughs, the inflammatory process can be quite severe and it is therefore important to take medication to control it to avoid joint destruction. Chiropractic treatment is still useful as a therapy for these conditions to help you control the symptoms.

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