Chiropractic care for sufferers of arthritis can be one of the most beneficial treatments in their repertoire to fight pain, improve flexibility and release tension in tortured joints.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Arthritis? If you have back or neck pain due to osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest therapies you can use, explains Scott Haldeman, MD, a neurologist in Santa Ana, California and Chairman Emeritus of the Research Council for the World Federation of Chiropractic.
Chiropractors and Arthritis
The most common treatment for arthritis is medication, which can take down the inflammation and swelling and reduce pain. However, chiropractors can be of great help in managing arthritis.
If you are having trouble moving due to peripheral joint pain, a sports injury, or surgery, then working with a physical therapist is probably your best choice. Your therapist will likely prescribe treatments and exercises to decrease pain and improve functional mobility.
Don't seek chiropractic adjustment if you have: Severe osteoporosis. Numbness, tingling, or loss of strength in an arm or leg. Cancer in your spine.
When you are just starting a new treatment plan, it's common to have adjustments multiple times a week. As your body begins to heal, that number could drop to just once a week. And if you are pain-free and simply want to maintain your lifestyle, you might only need to get an adjustment once or twice a month.
If your back or joints feel locked, stiff, and sore or maybe haven't responded to other treatments, then a consultation with a chiropractor is recommended. Soft tissue problems are more commonly treated by physiotherapists as well as joint and muscular problems which are restricting movement and causing pain.
“I usually recommend low-impact exercise such as the elliptical machine or swimming, as they are more gentle on your joints,” Sharma explains. “These types of movements are less likely to cause further injury and will maintain or even improve your mobility.”
In a survey of 500 orthopedic surgeons in Canada and the United States, just over half held a favourable or neutral view or chiropractors. The rest had a negative view. Half of the surgeons referred patients to chiropractors each year, often at the request of patients.
Massage therapy can help with inflammatory types of arthritis as well. A case study published in Massage Today found that regular massage helped alleviate pain and swelling from rheumatoid arthritis and also helped improved joint function, sleep quality, and daytime energy levels.
NSAIDs . Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Examples include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).
Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Use of cold, such as applying ice packs to sore muscles, can relieve pain and inflammation after strenuous exercise. Massage. Massage might improve pain and stiffness temporarily.
What can chiropractors learn from X-ray images? We use X-ray technology to more closely examine many parts of the body. Most commonly, we rely on X-rays to show spinal misalignments, but we can also use them to reveal fractures in the bones and signs of arthritis or disc degeneration.
Chiropractic Adjustments Help Reduce Inflammatory Agents
When the spine and other joints are properly aligned, and your nerves function as they should, your body's biomechanics return to normal. This stops the production of neuropeptides, which can help reduce inflammation.
People with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) could soon benefit from a new drug treatment that not only suppresses inflammation but also significantly reduces patient-reported pain scores. What does this mean? Otilimab is a monoclonal antibody, biologic drug, which targets and suppresses the inflammatory cytokine GM-CSF.
If arthritis is stopping you from everyday life activities then it might be time to book in and see a physiotherapist who can assess, diagnose and help you manage and improve the symptoms.
Physiotherapy is an important part of treatment for most people with arthritis. Physiotherapists are part of a team of healthcare professionals who help you to resume or maintain an active and independent life both at home and work. They're experts in assessing movement and can also show you how to protect your joints.
Both chiropractors and osteopaths undertake several years of in-depth training, but they use different approaches to manipulation. There are no comparative studies to suggest chiropractors are better than osteopaths or that osteopaths are better than chiropractors.
The main difference between them is in how they assess and treat the complaint. For example: Physiotherapists focus on physical movement and function for patients, most commonly after injury or surgery. Chiropractors focus on diagnosing, treating and preventing musculoskeletal problems throughout the body.
Physiotherapists do not receive the same degree of training in spinal manipulation as Chiropractors. Physiotherapists training has a much wider scope of training than the chiropractic degree.
The Bottom Line About Chiropractic Relief
Relief can last as long as a few weeks or as little as a few days. That's why it's critical for patients who are seeking pain relief to have a treatment plan and return as needed for further chiropractic care.
Keep this alignment intact by not doing any quick or jerky movements following your adjustment, and not doing any heavy lifting or strenuous activities. Because your body needs to relearn how to be in the correct position, be mindful of your movements for the next day or so.
The majority of sessions will likely last around 10 minutes, so it might seem as if there are quite a few. You may need a half-hour for your first adjustment, but each session will take less time as your health improves. Your adjustment should only take about five minutes when you reach maintenance sessions.