Your Seattle Chiropractor knows plenty about arthritis pain and what it can do to your life. Do you have back pain due to arthritis? Do you also have a challenge with your weight?  If so, more than likely you’re having back pain not only as the result of arthritis, but also as the eventuality of the burden your weight is putting on your spine.  The body was not intended to carry around extra weight in the form of body fat.  If you are carrying around just an additional 20 or 30 pounds on a regular basis, your spine, which supports the body, is being put under a great deal of strain. This kind of stress can produce irregularities of the vertebral column. These misaligned vertebra can generate arthritic changes in the spine and persist in causing inflammation to the degenerative changes that have begun. In addition, your body may counteract in other ways, such as by your hips moving forward or tilting to counterbalance the additional pounds.  This can pinch the sciatic nerve, which is extraordinarily painful.

A new survey by the NPD Group, a leading market research organization based in Rosemont, Ill., shows that around 62% of men and women and 34% of adolescents are overweight or obese. The ubiquitousness of arthritis escalates with growing weight. Research implies that sustaining a healthy weight lessens the risk of developing arthritis in the first place and may decelerate degenerative progression. A reduction of just 11 pounds can lessen the occurrence (incidence) of new knee osteoarthritis and would be extremely beneficial in decreasing back pain as well.

A good diet and regular exercise is mandatory for an individual who wants to overcome their back pain, knee pain, and joint pain in other places in the body.  Although this counsel presumably doesn’t strike you as anything new, it genuinely is the only solution for you to stop suffering and get your life back.

First of all, let’s talk about the issue of dieting.  There are a huge number of different ways to diet and many of them are useful only for a limited period.  Just think about it, if you were to lose weight for good, the diet industry would lose a life-long customer!  Eating a healthy diet (as a lifestyle choice and not a temporary fix) and decreasing your calories so that you are at a slight calorie “deficit,” is the only approach to losing weight in a healthy, permanent manner.  Dropping a lot of pounds too fast is not only temporary, but dangerous. Losing about 2 pounds every week will take off the weight and improve your health.

Research has shown that exercise and physical activity not only decreases pain and improves function, but truly delays disability. At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, no fewer than 3 days a week, has been confirmed to be effective. Even at 10-minute intervals such movement is beneficial.

Chiropractic adjustments are a proved way to get motion back in the joints of your spine and other areas of, and can be a wise first step before starting an exercise program. A spine in alignment makes exercise and physical activity a lot easier and will slow down arthritic degenerative changes. The Annals of Internal Medicine reported the findings of a survey of 232 people who were under a rheumatologist’s care for their arthritis.  Of those people, 63% replied to the survey by saying they were using some type of “complementary care” as named by the study.  Of those individuals, 31% were utilizing chiropractic. Undoubtedly the most notable statistic was that 73% of those trying chiropractic found it helpful.  Explaining why they’d tried the non-medical chiropractic care, those surveyed provided a number of reasons: 1) to reduce pain, 2) they’d been told that it helps, 3) they felt certain that it is safe, 4) it had assisted someone they knew, and 5) because their prescription medication wasn’t stopping the pain.

Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, have been aiding people suffering from back pain due to arthritis as well as other arthritic problems 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, thus causing new health challenges.

It is always a good idea to see a health care professional to talk about diet and exercise. If you are interested in highly knowledgeable advice on the type of lifestyle changes that you will required to help you to manage your arthritis, your chiropractor will be more than glad to help you. By the same token, 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 contributing to your arthritic pain.

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Your Seattle Chiropractor has treated thousands of arthritis sufferers, and believes that the better informed you are about arthritis, the better choices you will be able to make about your pain management.

One of the most frequently misunderstood conditions among people is arthritis..Often the word, “arthritis,” brings to mind a future that includes crippled and twisted joints.  But, many conditions from benign to severe are listed under the term, arthritis. For our purposes we will confine this analysis to the most common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care

Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD) are the labels for the most common form of arthritis, which is also called, spondylosis, if it occurs in the spine. This form of arthritis is not limited to humans, but occurs in all mammals, and is due to the deterioration of the cartilage that protects the joint surfaces. Degenerative changes in the joint takes place when joint cartilage is harmed and causes stress to the sensitive bone tissue that is ordinarily protected by the cartilage. Sometimes the bone around the joint will proliferate and make osteophytes, or what are familiarly called bone spurs. These spurs can create painful irritation to other tissues surrounding the joint, therefore complicating the already distressing condition.

Usually the areas of the body that develop degenerative joints are in the spine, principally in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, the hips and the 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 invariably involve some degree of pain and/or stiffness in the body part involved. If the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips or knees are involved, ones mobility can be affected notably in the more advanced stages of the condition.  In some cases, if the joint is appreciably worn and the person can no longer walk without severe pain, the joints are surgically replaced with synthetic devices. Of course, one should attempt to manage the condition early on in ones life to avoid the need for surgery.

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.
• Shoes with suitable support and shock absorption should be worn by those whose jobs demand extended periods of standing or walking.
• 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 cause knee pain.

• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables as they include natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are crucial for the health of the joints, as well as the rest of the 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 aid in the restoration of proper mobility and function to the spinal joints. Chiropractic care is not only safe, but extremely effective in relieving the debilitating pain of arthritis. Your chiropractor is highly experienced when it comes to arthritic pain relief. 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. Movement is vital to the maintenance of arthritic joints. A chiropractor often suggests gentle, mobilizing activities such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi can be beneficial.

Gout

Gouty arthritis is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood and the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. The most common joints are the big toes, the knees, ankles and wrists, and is often characterized by severe pain and swelling. Most people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are generally brought on by binge eating of inflammatory foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Foods that must be avoided contain a natural substance called Purines that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. People with this condition cannot effectively metabolize uric acid, thus the accumulation in the bloodstream and the ensuing joint problems. The foods most associated with high purine content are: red meat especially organ meat, certain seafood, legumes, mushrooms and other foods as well. There are other dietary restrictions that must be followed including avoiding alcohol.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is systemic in nature and thought to be produced by immune system dysfunction. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, though other areas of the body can be affected as well. Morning stiffness made more painful by movement is generally associated with the disease. Frequently people complain of general malaise and fatigue, and the disease in its more advanced forms can affect many of the other body systems. Rheumatoid arthritis can be easily identified through particularized blood tests. Management includes medication and vitamin and diet therapy, as well as chiropractic manipulations. 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 supporting people in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.

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