Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Arthritis

Arthritis is one of the most debilitating conditions for anyone. Your joints are stiff and painful. When it affects your hands, you can barely hold table utensils to feed yourself. Many everyday chores and activities appear insurmountable tasks to you. But you do not have to continue suffering in silence. Chiropractic care for arthritis has already demonstrated its ability to help people improve their quality of life.


What Is Arthritis and What Causes It?

Arthritis represents the swelling and stiffening of joints. This condition has several types, but chiropractic care for arthritis is recommended for:
• Inflammatory arthritis – usually caused by an autoimmune disease
• Osteoarthritis – caused by the wear and tear of cartilages in joints.
All types of arthritis have the same symptoms:


• Pain


• Stiffness of the joints


• Swelling


• Reduced range of motion


• Redness.


As we explained above, inflammatory or rheumatoid arthritis is caused by autoimmune disorders. As for other risk factors that may influence the onset of arthritis, the Mayo Clinic specifies:


• Genetics – arthritis may be transmitted from one generation to the other


• Age – older people are more prone to arthritis, especially if they did manual labor or otherwise intense and repetitive physical activities over the years


• Sex – women are more predisposed to rheumatoid arthritis
• Obesity – excess weight puts pressure on the joints and speeds up the wear and tear of cartilage


• Joint injury – if you suffered a joint injury in the past, you may develop arthritis in that precise area.


How Chiropractic Care for Arthritis Helps

The first thing that you need to know is that there is no cure for arthritis. Both allopathic and alternative medicine can provide relief from the debilitating symptoms. However, the condition itself does not go away.
Regardless, people who choose chiropractic care for arthritis say they enjoy a significantly improved quality of life. Thus, they can perform everyday tasks and even indulge in various hobbies despite arthritis.
Here is what chiropractors typically resort to in terms of care:


1. Chiropractic Adjustments

Adjustments involve using controlled force of the chiropractor’s hands to realign bones and joints. Invisible to the eye and difficult to perceive, joint misalignments can cause a lot of pain and reduced range of mobility.

Through careful adjustments, chiropractic care for arthritis helps reduce swelling and stiffness. After several sessions, the patient can experience improved flexibility in the affected joint and less pain.


2. Dry Needling

This technique involves applying very thin needles (think of human hair) to stimulate myofascial trigger points. These taut bands run along the skeletal muscles and fascia. By applying the needles in very precise positions, these trigger points act to reduce stiffness in the joint.
The procedure is painless and minimally invasive. Any licensed chiropractor can perform it with confidence.


3. Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasounds are tiny but high-frequency vibrations applied to the stiff joint. They send heat and energy to the inflammation area and help soothe it. This reduces tension in the joint, and the patient will regain mobility and experience reduced pain in the area.


4. Infrared Sauna

Heat is beneficial for patients with arthritis. This is why an increasing number of practitioners use it in chiropractic care for arthritis. The procedure involves placing the patient in a room where controlled amounts of heat are released to increase blood flow and relieve pain in stiff joints.


5. Electrotherapy

Do not feel alarmed by the name of this type of chiropractic care for arthritis. It only involves tiny amounts of electricity, which you will barely feel at all. However, they stimulate nerves and muscles in your joints, reducing inflammation and stiffness.
You can still enjoy life after a diagnosis of arthritis. We encourage you to visit our online registry and find a chiropractor!