|
Chiropractic & Arthritis
Intro
to Arthritis
Live long enough and
you can pretty much count on developing arthritis: a
touch of osteoarthritis, at the very least.
Arthritis ("arth"
meaning joint, "itis" meaning inflammation) isn't a
one-note story or even a few variations on a single
theme; it actually consists of more than 100 different
conditions. These can be anything from relatively mild
forms of tendinitis (as in "tennis elbow") and bursitis
to crippling systemic forms, such as rheumatoid
arthritis. There are pain syndromes like fibromyalgia
and arthritis-related disorders, such as systemic lupus
erythematosus, that involve every part of the body.
There are forms of the disease, such as gout, that
almost nobody connects with arthritis, and there are
other conditions - like osteoarthritis, the misnamed
"wear and tear" arthritis - that a good many people
think is the only form of the disease.
True, many older people
do have arthritis, but it's not just a disease of the
old. Some forms of arthritis affect children still in
diapers, while thousands of people are stricken in the
prime of their lives. The common denominator for all
these conditions is joint and musculoskeletal pain,
which is why they are grouped together as "arthritis."
Often that pain is a result of inflammation of the joint
lining.
Inflammation is
involved in many forms of arthritis. It is the body's
natural response to injury. The warning signs that
inflammation presents are redness, swelling, heat and
pain. These are the same kinds of reaction the body has
to a sliver in the hand, for example. When a joint
becomes inflamed, it may get any or all of these
symptoms. This can prevent the normal use of the joint
and therefore it can cause the loss of function of that
joint.
Anatomy of a Joint
There are more 100
joints connecting the body's 206 bones. Most of the
major bone connections in the body are joints designed
to allow a broad range of motion. There are different
kinds for different functions: ball-and-socket (hips and
shoulders), saddle joints (which connect thumb to hand),
hinge joints (fingers and knees) or pivot joints
(wrists). Tied together by ligaments, the bones of
joints are capped with a smooth substance called
cartilage. This tough elastic material acts as a shock
absorber and allows the bone ends to glide smoothly
across each other. If the cartilage is destroyed (as in
osteoarthritis), the bones of a joint can grind against
each other causing pain, loss of mobility, deformity and
dysfunction.
Between the bones is a
joint cavity, which gives the bones room to move. The
joint space between two bones is enclosed by a capsule
that's flexible, yet strong enough to protect the joint
against dislocation. The inner lining of this capsule,
the synovium, produces a thick fluid that lubricates and
nourishes the joint. In many forms of arthritis, the
synovium becomes inflamed and thickened, producing extra
fluid which contains inflammatory cells. The inflamed
synovium and fluid can damage the cartilage and
underlying bone.
No one knows what
causes arthritis, though scientists have uncovered a
host of clues. Something can be done to manage most
forms of arthritis, but it's very important that a
correct diagnosis is established early. Most therapies
work best when started early in the disease process.
Chiropractic & Arthritis
Chiropractic has long given relief from symptoms of
arthritis. There is a vicious cycle of pain and loss of
mobility that comes with arthritis. It works like this;
You have arthritis and as a result joint pain, the joint
pain causes you to move less, because you move less
there is loss of mobility, as you lose mobility your
arthritis worsens and you have more pain, the joint pain
causes you to move less... and on and on. Chiropractic
works against arthritis to improve mobility and lessen
pain. It works like this; You receive a chiropractic
adjustment, the adjustment increases the range of motion
in the arthritic joint, increased movement without pain
means you will move more, when you move more arthritis
is slowed or halted from progressing (some effects of
arthritis are even reversed), you receive a chiropractic
adjustment, the adjustment increases mobility... and so
on. So instead of following a negative feedback loop
and getting worse and worse chiropractic helps you to
follow a positive feedback loop and get better and
better.
Keep Moving to Fight the Effects of Aging
A
study in the Journal of Sports Chiropractic &
Rehabilitation states that there seems to be a direct
association between the loss of strength and muscle mass
as people age.
This may not be news to you but what is important is
that there is no inherent change in the muscle tissue
itself. In other words the loss of physical power and
muscle mass are a result of lifestyle not an inevitable
result of aging. Studies show that the loss of strength
cannot only be maintained but can be reversed under the
proper exercise program.
So, what does this mean to you? It means that if you are
young and you are not exercising you should be
considering an exercise program to help maintain your
health as you age. If you are not so young and not
exercising all is not lost. You can begin a program and
reap the benefits as though you were young. If you are
exercising, no matter what your age, keep up the good
work.
If
you would like to begin an exercise program and don’t
know where to begin ask Dr. Vilkelis how to get started
on the right path.
Wearing High Heels May Lead to Knee Arthritis
Although millions of women wear high-heeled shoes every
day, little is known about the effects of these shoes on
the joints in the legs. This study investigated the
amount of force applied to the leg joints of 20 women
who wore high-heeled shoes.
Subjects walked with their own high-heeled shoes and
barefoot. Measurements showed increased force across the
knee and hip joints and a greater compressive force on
the central compartment of the knee (an average of 23%
more force applied) when walking in high heels compared
with barefoot walking.
Excessive force to the knee caused by walking in high
heels may contribute to degenerative changes in the knee
joint and other joints in the leg. These findings, when
coupled with the observation that osteoarthritis of the
knee is twice as common in women as in men, suggest the
need for appropriate clinical prevention strategies and
cultural behavior modifications. Ask your chiropractor
about ways to avoid the potential damage high heels can
cause. |