Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help Your Arthritis?

Got a quick question for you. Is arthritis affecting your quality of life? Chiropractic is a healthy alternative.

I feel that getting regular chiropractic care does help, so the answer to that question is a resounding YES! Let’s take a look and see WHY and HOW.

            There are TWO different conditions known as “arthritis”. By definition, “arthritis” is inflammationof the joints. (If you have any kind of inflammation, I strongly recommend a product called “INFLAMMATION”, which you can get here at the office.) But, there are actually two kinds of “arthritis”.

            First, there’s osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. This includes DJD r Degenerative Joint Disease. Then, there are several variations of rheumatoid arthritis. 

            Osteoarthritis or “wear and tear arthritis” is just that, a sort of wearing a way of your join(s) which over time will take its toll on how you act, feel, and move. It typically shows up as you age (only because you’re NOT doing the right things, or you did the wrong things when you were younger and now they’re showing up later in life) OR after years of excessive use, say from a job, or you do something respectively that causes a wear on your joint. 

             Many people tell me “The orthopedist told me the disc in my neck and low back worn down because of my age.” My response is “Well, how old are the other discs in your spine? I think they’re all the same age, so why did one of them wear out faster than the other ones?” 

            DJD or osteoarthritis of the spine, is usually caused by bones in the spine that are NOT in alignment and/or postural distortions. If the front end of your car is misaligned, it’s going to wear out the tires, no matter how careful you drive. 

            The discs (like the tires on that care I just mentioned) wear away and your body tries to stabilize the area. On x-ray this reaction looks like little bone spurs. It’s actually the body trying to “fuse” these vertebrae in order to protect you. Usually the problem is not noticed until the disc is about gone and the spurs (or osteophytes) start to press on nerves, causing pain.

            The standard medical approach to “wear and tear “arthritis is self-medication with over-the-counter painkillers and NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Tylenol, Advil, etc. If not resolved the right way, you can end up on steroids or prescription painkillers that can lead to addiction.

            The eventual medical solution is surgery, sometimes very risky surgery with long-term consequences. The other type of arthritis, called Rheumatoid arthritis, is am inflammatory autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling and disfiguration, usually easily seen in the hands.As with most autoimmune conditions, the cause is unknown, so no one really KNOWS for sure what causes this.

            Yet, medical treatments start with over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, then prescription painkillers, then immunosuppressant drugs. The mandatory warnings on these drugs warn you of infection, disease and even death