Many different health issues lead people to choose chiropractic care. If you have joint issues, you might be wondering if chiropractic care can be of assistance.
Depending on the source of your pain, the answer might change. Even though the aim of chiropractic care is to regain movement and function, the right kind of adjustment must be chosen depending on the type of arthritis. Chiropractic is one of the safest treatments you can use.
Chiropractor
If you remember to pay attention to your body and are looking for a non-drug solution to ease those painful joints, chiropractic medicine might be for you.
Today, most of what chiropractors do is more gentle than popping necks into place or cracking backs. In fact, chiropractors employ more than 150 different methods to manually adjust the spine, joints, and muscles with varying degrees of force.
While a high-velocity spinal adjustment may help an athlete with lower back pain, you would receive treatment tailored to your needs and type of arthritis.
For the purpose of ending muscle spasms and reducing tenderness, a chiropractor may gently manipulate your soft tissue. Alternatively, she might gently stretch your joints and widen your range of motion using traction or active exercises.
A more active form of physical therapy might be how your visit feels.
What Kind Of Arthritis Can Chiropractors Help With
Instead of being one disease with one set of symptoms, arthritis is actually a collection of diseases with varying degrees of severity. Therefore, it is difficult to say that chiropractic care is required in every case of arthritis.
Chiropractic care, however, can be incredibly beneficial in reducing pain and enhancing mobility for some of the more prevalent types of arthritis. The most prevalent types of arthritis that chiropractors typically treat are:
- Arthritis that is inflammatory: caused by an autoimmune condition that makes joints swell and hurt.
- Osteoarthritis is caused by the deterioration of joint cartilage, which results in pain and inflammation.
Chiropractors And Arthritis
The most popular method of treating arthritis is medication, which can lessen pain and swelling and inflammation. But chiropractors can be very beneficial in managing arthritis.
Despite the fact that medications are effective, they come with long-term health risks, including internal bleeding, stomach lining damage, and impaired healing.
By seeing a chiropractor, you might be able to manage your pain and symptoms without resorting to prescription drugs. A chiropractor can:
- Improve your range of motion by keeping your spine in line
- Improve endurance and flexibility
- Increase your strength and muscle tone
- Help you develop a dietary and nutritional plan to reduce inflammation naturally
Additionally, chiropractors can suggest an arthritis-friendly exercise program. This is essential for controlling your arthritis symptoms, according to the American Chiropractic Association.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe For Arthritis
Chiropractic is one of the safest treatments you can use if you have back or neck pain from osteoarthritis. However, you will need to exercise greater caution if you suffer from an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis.
Chiropractic therapy is not recommended if you have osteoporosis in the spine or neck, a fused spine, active inflammation (caused by a flare, for example), or any other of the conditions listed above.
Going to a chiropractor is not something I would advise if a patient has joints that are actively swollen. It would be risky to receive an adjustment if you can’t control the swelling.
What Are The Benefits Of Chiropractic Care For Sufferers Of Arthritis
Every patient is unique and will need a different approach from a chiropractor, but for the most part, they will concentrate on realigning the body parts affected by arthritis pain and releasing tension that has accumulated over time. The following are some advantages of chiropractic care for arthritis:
- Reduced inflammation throughout the body caused by arthritis
- Improved ability to move and better joint flexibility
- Reduced pain across affected areas and reduced referred pain in other parts of the body
- A better quality of life and ability to perform physical tasks
How Chiropractic Care Works
Chiropractic care is based on the idea that your nervous system functions at its peak when your spine’s bones are correctly aligned, which benefits all of your body’s systems, not just your muscles and joints. It is frequently used to treat musculoskeletal issues.
Chiropractic treatment is a type of manual therapy, which means that doctors administer care using their hands and other specialized equipment. Additionally, they don’t perform surgery or prescribe medication.
They may, however, recommend exercise and other forms of therapy because they are qualified and licensed.
A chiropractor can treat issues with your joints and soft tissues in a variety of ways, including:
- HVLA SMT stands for high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation therapy. This is the “adjustment” that people most frequently associate with chiropractic treatment. A chiropractor may use one or more quick, forceful thrusts to push a joint—typically in your spine—beyond its usual range of motion.
- Joint mobilization. Here, the joint is gently moved through its normal range of motion to check for any points where motion is restricted.
- Stretching and massage.
- Cold or heat therapy.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). To stimulate your muscles and nerves, this device emits a gentle electrical pulse.
- Ultrasound. Pain and swelling in joints and soft tissue can be reduced by sound waves.
- Low-level laser. Additionally, swelling can be reduced by a laser type that doesn’t produce heat.
Treating The Symptoms
Recognize that chiropodists cannot treat arthritis. There is no known cure for this illness as of yet. However, they can aid in symptom relief and delay the onset of the illness.
To treat the condition, they might combine spinal adjustments with other therapies. Among these choices are:
- Hot and cold therapy
- Ultrasound treatments
- Massage
- Electronic muscle stimulation
- Physical rehabilitation
- Magnet therapy
Conclusions
The chiropractors will perform a consultation, and examination, and, if necessary, refer you for diagnostic imaging such as an x-ray or an MRI to determine whether chiropractic care is appropriate for your condition.
Based on the findings of our chiropractic exam and consultation, your doctor of chiropractic may elect to co-treat your arthritis with other healthcare professionals including massage therapists, physical therapists, or other primary care physicians.
