Are You Suffering From Arthritis?

Are you suffering from symptoms such as joint pain, joint stiffness and swelling? Arthritis, a degenerative joint disease, may be the cause.  Arthritis is characterized by breakdown of joint cartilage.  Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of bones.  Without cartilage the joint bones will rub together creating pain and joint dysfunction.

Factors causing arthritis include:

• Heredity- In some families, arthritis appears to be passed from one generation to another through genes that form abnormal cartilage, joint bones or joint shape.
• Obesity- Excess body weight increases risk for developing arthritis although it may take 8-12 years before symptoms appear.
• Injury or Overuse- Arthritis may develop in certain joints due to injury or overuse, for example, jobs requiring repeated knee bending appear to increase the risk of knee arthritis.
• Age- Although age is considered a risk factor, recent research has shown that arthritis is not an inevitable part of aging.

Arthritis caused by obesity, injury or age can be improved through active participation in a holistic wellness and rehabilitation program.

Before treatment can begin a proper diagnosis consisting of a thorough physical exam and history of symptoms is needed.  An x-ray examination can be used to confirm the diagnosis, rule out other causes of pain and determine the extent of joint damage.  Once the diagnosis has been made an individualized treatment program can be put into action.  At one time medication and learning to live with the pain was the basic treatment for arthritis.  Now there are other options.  Enhanced joint function and stability through chiropractic and manual therapy techniques is essential to proper treatment.  Improving joint function limits the amount of degeneration on the cartilage of the joints resulting in less pain in movement.  The body becomes more efficient during movement allowing weight-bearing stress to be dispersed equally over the entire joint reducing pressure and abnormal breakdown. The program should also consist of improving improper motion patterns such as in walking, running, sitting, etc.  It is likely that arthritis pain is made worse by bad habits, such as poor posture, that are developed trying to avoid pain. Faulty movement patterns may stress and irritate other joints and muscles, which sets up a never-ending cycle of pain and function loss.

Enhancing muscle function in the areas of flexibility, strength and endurance will not only help relieve the symptoms of arthritis, but also improve the body’s efficiency and further limit joint wear and tear.  To increase flexibility a regular stretching program is utilized to loosen muscle tissue, allowing an increased range of motion, which in turn helps prevent damage to the muscle.  Repeated injury to the muscle leads to a build-up of scar tissue increasing strain and inflexibility which impedes range of motion adding stress on the joints.  Strength training helps with arthritis because strong muscles cushion the joints, acting as shock absorbers.  Cartilage is the cushion between two bones, which absorbs the shock to the joint that gets passed on to the muscle.  So without strong muscles, cartilage experiences more damage and degenerate at a faster rate.  Arthritis coupled with cartilage degradation leads to reduced activity and weakened muscles.  Consequently, the damaged joint absorbs more trauma bringing more inactivity.  A progressive strength-training program can prevent further joint damage and reduce pain.  Building muscle endurance is a phase that is often neglected, as the usual process is to focus on muscle strength.  Improvement of stamina of the muscle allows the muscle to work longer without tiring as quickly.  This maintains reduced strain on the joints prolonging the life of the joints.  By enhancing muscle function joint function is also enhanced by providing better stabilization of the joint.  Proper stabilization is essential for proper joint function because it limits abnormal movement patterns within the individual joints.

Nutritional counseling is also a very important part of the treatment program.  Excess weight adds stress and trauma to joints because the force on the weight-bearing joints of your body is up to three to four times your body weight.  These weight-bearing joints include the knees, hips, back and feet.  Research also indicates that certain foods have anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve arthritis symptoms.

The optimum treatment program for arthritis consists of the combination of holistic wellness procedures and physical rehabilitation addressing restoration of strength, flexibility, endurance and joint performance.  By developing a complete functional restoration program you can comprehensively treat arthritis.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis and are ready to take the next step in treating it, or have any questions regarding arthritis please contact Dr. Thomas W. Gustafson at the Active Healing Center on 732-683-0200.