Arthritis: Get The Facts Straight
As a chiropractor, nearly every person that comes into my office is looking for pain relief. In many of those cases, arthritic change in the joints may be an associated factor related to their persistent pain. When people picture arthritis, they will likely picture someone older and frail, who has been dealing with chronic pain issues. But is this an accurate image? Based on the research, let’s go over what we know about arthritis and clear up some of the common misconceptions.
It’s important to know that there are many types of arthritis, which affect roughly 46 million Americans. That’s a big number, but it is also expected to grow over the next decade! The term “arthritis” really means “joint inflammation” and can come in many forms, most often in the form of wear and tear or as a result of autoimmune disease. These types get wrapped up under the same terminology of “arthritis”, but are actually very different. I won’t get deep into the weeds of types of arthritis, but want to focus on what we know about it and separate fact from fiction.
Here’s the facts:
Arthritis is not an “old-age” disease. Many people believe this, even though roughly two thirds of people suffering from arthritis are under 65 years old! In addition to this, about 300,000 children suffer from juvenile arthritis.
While options for treatment involves everything from pain relief lotions, to chiropractic care, to surgery, there really is no current “cure” for arthritis. While this is true, what you can do is keep your joints as healthy as possible by caring for them. How do you do this? Studies show that improving joint motion (chiropractic adjustment, yoga, stretching), strength training, and endurance training help to ease joint pain and improve function.
Diet and nutrition have a big influence on your level of joint pain. People who generally eat healthier will ultimately produce less systemic inflammation and reduce overall pain levels. In addition to diet, there are specific supplements/herbals like fish oil, tumeric, and boswellia which have been shown to help reduce joint pain. Lately, I’ve come to love collagen based supplements with natural anti-inflammatories as part of my recommended joint protocol.
A lot of recent research has found that arthritic findings in imaging (like an x-ray) does not correlate well to the pain perceived by the individual! In other words, having an arthritic joint does not necessarily equal pain. As I write this, there are many people walking around right now who have some level of joint arthritis and have no idea! How you treat your joints and the quality of your lifestyle really matters.
If you have arthritis currently, or have fear of developing it soon, don’t despair. A certain amount of arthritic change is a normal part of aging, but it’s how you take care of your body that determines how painful it could ultimately be. I see patients on a daily basis with various levels of arthritic pain and most of them experience improvement with my care plan designed for them. So, if you’re suffering from pain and have taken the defeated mentality of “I guess it’s just old age”, I encourage you now to seek help, get moving, and reduce your inflammation. You may just be surprised at the improvements you can make.
Dr Rob Liguori
