|
|
Arthritis
|
Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. |
| Arthritis occurs in various forms, such as the arthritis associated with infections, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Many forms of vasculitis can also be associated with arthritis.
Arthritis isn’t just 1 disease; it’s a complex disorder that comprises more than 100 distinct conditions and can affect people at any stage of life. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. |  |
|
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the United States, affecting an estimated 21 million adults. It begins with the breakdown of joint cartilage, resulting in pain and stiffness. | |
Osteoarthritis commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Other joints affected less frequently include the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles. When it is found in a less-frequently affected joint, there is usually a history of injury or unusual stress to that joint. |
Work-related repetitive injury and physical trauma may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. For example, if you have a strenuous job that requires repetitive bending, kneeling, or squatting, you may be at high risk for osteoarthritis of the knee.
|
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
-
Steady or intermittent pain in a joint
-
Stiffness after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting
-
Swelling or tenderness in 1 or more joints
-
Crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone (called crepitus) when the joint is used
Osteoarthritis usually comes on slowly. Early in the disease, joints may ache after physical work or exercise. If you are experiencing symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness, see a doctor to find out if you have osteoarthritis.
|
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many different joints and, in some people, other parts of the body as well, including the blood, the lungs, and the heart.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. |
Several features distinguish it from other kinds of arthritis:
|
-
Tender, warm, and swollen joints
-
Fatigue, sometimes fever, and a general sense of not feeling well
-
Pain and stiffness lasts for more than 30 minutes after a long rest
-
The condition is symmetrical. If one hand is affected, the other one is, too
-
The wrist and finger joints closest to the hand are most frequently affected
- Neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, and feet joints can also be affected
-
The disease can last for years and can affect other parts of the body,
not only the joints
|
 |
Rheumatoid arthritis is highly individual. Some people suffer from mild arthritis that lasts from a few months to a few years and then goes away. Episodes of mild or moderate arthritis normally have periods of worsening symptoms (flare-ups) and periods of remissions, when the patient feels better. People with severe arthritis feel pain most of the time. The pain lasts for many years and can cause serious joint damage and disability. |
|
A chiropractor can evaluate your spine. Your spine is a group of round bones which are stacked on top of each other. Each bone articulates (fits) with the one above and below at their joints. Also, special vertebrae articulate with ribs, the sacrum and the skull, etc. A Doctor of Chiropractic is the most extensively trained healthcare practitioner in the nation to evaluate these articulations.
|
|
Finding and adjusting subluxations between these bones are the specialty of a chiropractor.
A good therapeutic massage, in addition to chiropractic, can help take away muscle spasms and therefore, pain. Massage is also relaxing, helps most people sleep at night.... and encourages fluids to move through the body, eliminating debris from dead cells and waste. |
What can your Doctor of Chiropractic do?
|
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor of chiropractic can help you plan an individualized exercise program that will:-
Help you restore the lost range of motion to your joints
-
Improve your flexibility and endurance
-
Increase your muscle tone and strength
Doctors of chiropractic can also give you nutrition and supplementation advice that can be helpful in controlling and reducing joint inflammation.
|
Should people with arthritis exercise?
|
| Yes. Studies have shown that exercise helps people with arthritis in many ways. Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility, muscle strength, cardiac fitness, and endurance. It also helps with weight reduction and contributes to an improved sense of well-being.
|
How does exercise fit into a treatment plan for people with arthritis?
|
| Exercise is one part of a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan. Treatment plans also may include rest and relaxation, proper diet, medication, and instruction about proper use of joints and ways to conserve energy (that is, not waste motion) as well as the use of pain relief methods.
|
What types of exercise are most suitable for someone with arthritis?
|
Three types of exercise are best for people with arthritis:
Range-of-motion exercises: (e.g., dance) help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness. This type of exercise helps maintain or increase flexibility.
Strengthening exercises: (e.g., weight training) helps keep or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by arthritis.
Aerobic or endurance exercises: (e.g., bicycle riding) improves cardiovascular fitness, helps control weight, and improves overall function. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints.
Most health clubs and community centers offer exercise programs for people with physical limitations.
|
What are some pain relief methods for people with arthritis?
|
There are known methods to help stop pain for short periods of time. This temporary relief can make it easier for people who have arthritis to exercise.
The doctor can suggest a method that is best for each patient.
The following methods have worked for many people:
Moist heat supplied by warm towels, hot packs, a bath, or a shower can be used at home for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day to relieve symptoms. Deep heat is not recommended for patients with acutely inflamed joints. Deep heat is often used around the shoulder to relax tight tendons prior to stretching exercises.
Cold supplied by a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel helps to stop pain and reduce swelling when used for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. It is often used for acutely inflamed joints. People who have Raynaud's phenomenon should not use this method.
Hydrotherapy (water therapy) can decrease pain and stiffness. Exercising in a large pool may be easier because water takes some weight off painful joints. Some patients also find relief from the heat and movement provided by a whirlpool.
Mobilization therapies include traction (gentle, steady pulling), massage, and manipulation (using the hands to restore normal movement to stiff joints). When done by a trained professional, these methods can help control pain and increase joint motion and muscle and tendon flexibility.
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) and biofeedback are two additional methods that may provide some pain relief. In TENS, an electrical shock is transmitted through electrodes placed on the skin's surface. Relaxation therapy also helps reduce pain. Patients can learn to release the tension in their muscles to relieve pain.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method of pain relief. A medically qualified acupuncturist places needles in certain sites. Researchers believe that the needles stimulate deep sensory nerves that tell the brain to release natural painkillers (endorphins). Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, but pressure is applied to the acupuncture sites instead of using needles.
|
|
|
|
Click here to email web master