Posts Tagged ‘arthritis’
San Jose Chiropractor Reveals Alternative Approaches for Arthritis Pain Relief
There are a variety of treatment options from which you can choose when it comes to your back pain and pain in other parts of your body because of arthritic changes, including going to see a San Jose chiropractor. However, many men and women who are suffering from painful arthritis and back pain still suppose that they must go to a medical doctor as the best way to find a cure for their problem. Even so, you might be surprised to know that very few medical doctors are able to help individuals eliminate, or naturally decrease the difficulties of back pain due to arthritis. As opposed to being accustomed to finding and treating the cause of the pain you are feeling, medical doctors regularly treat only your symptoms, and usually through medication. And, while some medications may alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, there is a lot that you can do not just for pain relief, but to genuinely slow down arthritic changes in your body.
Seeing a San Jose chiropractor is genuinely one of the very best things that you can do to help your arthritis and back pain. Chiropractors are doctors who concentrate exclusively on working on the muscular and skeletal system, and arthritis is a joint affliction. Chiropractic care has aided many people in slowing the process of arthritis by getting their joints moving. Movement is crucial for joint health. A good chiropractor is extremely skilled in treating back pain, even when it is caused by arthritis
If you have never gone to a chiropractor before, you might be a bit concerned about what is going to occur once you are in the office. It might help to give a quick overview about what you can expect. You will be asked about your medical history, which will probably include a family history of arthritis. The chiropractor will ask about your current lifestyle and may offer explicit alterations that will be very helpful in decreasing the inflammation caused by arthritis. And, finally, you will receive a thorough examination. After the examination is finished, the chiropractor will let you know if chiropractic care can help your back pain, as well as relieve your painful arthritic symptoms. At the end of your visit!Then you will be told about the specific treatment you will require.
A chiropractic adjustment relieves pain gently and naturally, and it is a painless process. And, the most wonderful aspect of going to a chiropractor for your back pain and arthritis is that you can feel certain that the cause of your pain is being addressed, and that the relief you experience is not masking the symptom of pain, but genuinely taking care of the origin of your affliction.
San Diego Chiropractor Asks: Did You Know That Just a Few Extra Pounds Can Put Your Joints on Overload?
As a San Diego Chiropractor, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. What’s an extra pound or two? Over time, those pounds can add up to a surprising number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Surplus poundage puts harmful stress on organs, like the heart, not to mention on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of men and women in America are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is an extremely compelling number and a truly gigantic problem (no pun intended).
Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body was not designed to carry around surplus poundage in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can literally overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Added weight in the belly, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. The tilt puts pressure on the joints of the low back. Painful inflammation results as this joint compression hinders nerve activity. Most men and women who have a heavy midsectionsuffer from low back pain caused by a compressed sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that restrict nerves as a result of weight-bearing stresses. If not addresses, misaligned vertebra generally create new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have already taken place.
Are you wondering how chiropractic can help? First of all, to be clear, a moderate body weight is necessary in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve compression in the vertebral column and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, certainly exercise and physical activity is a lot easier, and healthier for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good movement. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually inhibit degenerative changes as we age.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can advise you regarding your diet and exercise choices. In addition to treating people suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide expert suggestions on the particular lifestyle changes that can help a person to stay healthier, more energetic, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be unavoidable. The human body was intended for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if you’ve been thinking that a few extra pounds won’t hurt, think again! As your chiropractor in San Diego, and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I’d like to help you to make healthier choices. Make an appointment today!
Santa Clara Chiropractor: "No Pain, No Gain?" Not When It Comes to Aging
It probably goes without saying that as we age our body doesn’t feel or respond the same way as it used to when we were younger. It hardly seems right that as our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive,” our body seems to become less “cooperative.” We’re stiff in the morning; many of the activities we do during the day make us sore at night; and, if we’re not cautious, even a motion as simple as turning too hastily or reaching down to pick up a dropped piece of paper, can cause our back or some other muscle group to go into spasm. The good news is that there is natural treatment accessible that can not only slow down the aging process of the body, but help us to avoid some of those problems altogether.
For instance, arthritis. In point of fact, with the exception of pharmaceuticals, allopathic medicine fails to address this age-related affliction. What is the reason? The answer is that most medical practitioners are only concerned with the symptoms of arthritis. The chiropractic procedure is to look for the cause of the problem and relieve the pain at its source. For over one hundred years, chiropractors, like your Santa Clara Chiropractor, have been treating men and women suffering from back pain and other conditions produced by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Arthritic changes happen as your body ages because, over time, wear of various joints takes place as a consequence of repetitive stresses, and years of incorrect gait, improper posture, and insufficient movement. Chiropractic treatment restores motion back into your joints and reduces pain, and it readjusts any vertebral misalignment that may be causing irritation and restriction. In addition to causing arthritic changes in the spine and increasing pain, did you know that misaligned vertebra can also reduce your resistance and immunity? It’s true, and this could be one of the reasons why it may seem to you that as you get older you experience more health problems and that it frequently takes longer for you to feel better again. According to studies done on older individuals, those who received regular chiropractic care stayed healthier. To put it another way, as you get older, chiropractic care is good for what ails you!
When it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are highly knowledgeable whether it’s the small, growing frame of an infant or the full-grown body of a mature adult. Your chiropractor is experienced in working with the aging process of the body and has singular observational and diagnostic skills that help in locating spinal misalignments and joint degeneration. A chiropractic examination can, in fact, frequently reveal certain age-related conditions before they’ve begun to create noticeable pain. In addition, your Santa Clara Chiropractor can assess your posture and check your gait to ascertain if there are any faulty patterns that might cause further arthritic changes.
So, if feeling your age has become a painful experience, make an appointment with your Santa Clara Chiropractor today!
Chiropractor says, Taking Off Extra Pounds Can Decrease Your Arthritis Pain
Do you have back pain due to arthritis? Do you also have a difficult time with your weight? If you do, you are probably having back pain not only because of arthritis, but also as a consequence of the burden your weight is putting on your spine. The body was not designed to carry around extraneous weight in the form of body fat. If you are carrying around only an additional 20 or 30 pounds on a regular basis, your spine, which supports the body, is being put under a tremendous amount of strain. This sort of burden can cause aberrations of the vertebral column. These misaligned vertebra can generate arthritic changes in the spine and continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place. Furthermore, your body may counteract in other ways, like your hips moving forward or tilting to accommodate the additional poundage. This can restrict the sciatic nerve, which is extremely painful.
A current survey by the NPD Group, a leading market research company based in Rosemont, Ill., indicates that approximately 62% of men and women and 34% of adolescents are overweight or obese. The prevalence of arthritis amplifies with increasing weight. Research indicates that sustaining a healthy weight decreases the risk of developing arthritis in the first place and may slow disease progression. A weight decrease of just 11 pounds can reduce the occurrence (incidence) of new knee osteoarthritis and would be extraordinarily effective in relieving back pain as well.
In order for anyone to eliminate their back pain, knee pain, and pain in the joints in other areas of the body, a nutritious diet and appropriate exercise is definitely required. Although this counsel presumably doesn’t strike you as anything new, it really is the only action for you to take in order to stop suffering and get your life back.
First of all, let’s talk about the topic of dieting. There are a huge number of different ways to diet and most of them work only as a Band-Aid. It may sound cynical, but let’s face it, if you were to lose weight permanently, the diet industry would lose a life-long customer! In order for you to lose weight productively, you are simply going to need to eat a healthy diet and additionally to cut your calories so that you are at a slight calorie deficit. Don’t plan on losing 20 pounds every week because that is a limited and dangerous fix. You should be losing about 2 pounds every week in order to have positive results.
Research has shown that exercise and physical activity not only relieves pain and augments function, but actually delays disability. Be certain to get a minimum of one-half hour of moderate physical activity at least 3 days a week. Even at 10-minute intervals such movement is beneficial.
Besides the good your joints will experience from exercise, chiropractic treatment is an excellent way to get mobility back in the joints of your spine and other places in your body. A well-adjusted spine makes exercise and physical activity a good deal easier and actually slows down arthritic degenerative changes. The Annals of Internal Medicine released the findings of a survey of 232 people who were under a rheumatologist’s care for their arthritis. Of those people, 63% responded to the survey by saying they were utilizing some form of “complementary care” as named by the study. Of those responders, 31% were utilizing chiropractic. Possibly the most consequential statistic was that 73% of those trying chiropractic found it helpful. Indicating why they’d tried the non-medical chiropractic care, the responders gave a number of reasons: 1) to curb pain, 2) they’d been told that it helps, 3) they felt certain that it is safe, 4) it had helped someone they knew, and 5) because their prescription medication wasn’t stopping the pain.
Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, have been aiding individuals suffering from back pain due to arthritis and other arthritic conditions for over a hundred years. Your chiropractor treats misaligned vertebra that, in addition to creating arthritic pain and degenerative changes in the spine, can decrease resistance and immunity, which can lead to new health challenges.
It is always smart to visit a health care professional to talk about diet and exercise. Your chiropractor is an experienced resource for advice on the sort of lifestyle changes that you will need to assist you in managing your arthritis. Furthermore, in addition to getting your spine in alignment through gentle adjustments, your chiropractor will analyze any faulty gait patterns or posture irregularities that may be compounding your arthritic pain.
Does Chiropractic Treatment Decrease Arthritis Pain?
Introduction
Arthritis is more often than not confusing to most people.When some people hear this word they contemplate a future with crippled and twisted joints. However “arthritis” is an all-inclusive word that comprises many different conditions from the benign to the severe. For our purposes we will limit this analysis to the most common forms of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care
Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD) are the terms for the most common form of arthritis, which is also called, spondylosis, if it occurs in the spine. Basically, the condition is due to the erosion of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces, and it is found not only in humans, but also in all mammals. Degenerative changes in the joint happens when joint cartilage is damaged and causes stress to the sensitive bone tissue that is normally preserved by the cartilage. Sometimes, osteophytes, or bone spurs, can occur when the bone around the joint increases quickly. Bone spurs create painful inflammation to other tissues surrounding the joint exacerbating the already grievous condition.
Degenerative joints as a rule occur in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, hips, and fingers. Everyone may experience DJD at one point in their lives, though previous trauma, ones occupation, activities, weight, diet, and heredity affect the degree of the condition and its onset.
The symptoms of DJD always involve some degree of pain and/or stiffness in the body part involved. As the condition advances there can be loss of mobility, notably when weight-bearing joints such as hips or knees are involved. As a last resort joints can be surgically replaced with synthetic devices. This should be done only in severe cases where the joint is sufficiently worn and movement is intolerable due to severe pain.
Prevention is unquestionably the best option, beginning at an early age.
- Making sure that all injuries to joints are properly treated will help to avoid future problems.
- People involved in occupations that demand standing or walking should wear proper shoes that provide good support and shock absorption.
- Excess body weight can produce increased stress upon the weight bearing joints of the body.
- Avoid kneeling on hard surfaces, such as when doing housework, as this can put strain and create knee pain.
- The natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants included in fruits and vegetables are vital for healthy joints and a healthy body.
Recently there have been some studies that show that the nutritional supplement, Glucosamine, can help with DJD and can possibly help rebuild joint cartilage. However, it must be used over time and does not work in all conditions.
Chiropractic adjustments are not only a smart idea, but an efficient treatment for arthritis, and can help to restore proper mobility and function to the spinal joints, thereby giving patients great relief. Your chiropractor has many of years of experience in helping people with arthritis pain. In addition, chiropractic modalities such as joint mobilization, ultrasound, cold laser therapy, massage and electro-therapy may be used to aid in the treatment of painful and stiff joints. On occasion a brace is necessary to help stabilize the joint in an attempt to alleviate pain. A chiropractor may suggest exercises such as stretching, yoga, tai chi and other gentle mobilizing activities to help maintain arthritic joints.
Gout
An high level of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints produce gouty arthritis. The most common joints are the big toes, the knees, ankles and wrists, and is often characterized by acute pain and swelling. A large number of people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are more often than not brought on by binge eating of inflammatory foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Particular foods such as red meat (especially organ meat), certain seafood, legumes, and mushrooms have the natural substance, Purines, that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. Since individuals with gout cannot properly metabolize uric acid, the accumulation in the bloodstream produces joint problems. In addition to the foods described and additional foods containing Purines, other dietary restrictions need to be followed including the avoidance of alcohol.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is systemic in nature and thought to be caused by immune system dysfunction. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, while other areas of the body can be affected as well. Morning stiffness made more painful by movement is most often associated with the disease. Other symptoms can involve general malaise and fatigue, and in its more advanced stages other systems of the body may be affected. There are specific blood tests to help identify Rheumatoid arthritis that can be easily run. Management includes medication and vitamin and diet therapy, as well as chiropractic adjustments. In addition, joint mobilization and modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electro-therapy and massage can help with the pain and stiffness associated the condition. Your Chicago chiropractor is dedicated to assisting people in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.