Arthritis: Easy Solutions for a Common Problem

Arthritis: The 'Universal' Condition

One thing that is heard constantly in the health and fitness field is the complaint of pain and limited motion from arthritis. Clients constantly speak about their diagnosis of arthritis whether it is in the spine, knee, shoulder, or some other joint. The reason this is heard so much is that arthritis is extremely common and occurs in everyone at some point in their lives. In fact, as we age each person will start to have arthritis occurring in various places. To make things even more 'commonplace' there are over 100 different types of arthritis. The most common form is osteoarthritis which is a long-term process of 'wear and tear' in the joints. Common symptoms are as follows:

• Pain in a joint (or multiple joints)


• Swelling of a joint (may or may not be perceptible to the patient)


• Limited range of motion


• Stiffness (especially in the morning)

Obviously, we all have 'wear and tear' that occurs throughout our lifetime. However, the problem we see is that most people consider this diagnosis as a life sentence of pain and limited motion. This makes people cease activity and avoid the area of pain. This results in further problems due to the new compensation patterns that are adapted leading to excess stress in other parts of the body.

The other misconception that people tend to interpret from a diagnosis of arthritis is that it is always a severe condition. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most times arthritis is something that doctors arbitrarily find in and x-ray and is not necessarily the cause of pain. However, since this is their 'diagnosis' they assume that this is in fact the cause of their pain and there is nothing that they can do about it. The real truth is there is many things you can do to improve osteoarthritis. Even more, if you decide to just avoid the area and deal with the pain it typically will progress to more severe arthritis.

So, the question becomes: What can I do about arthritis? If speaking about the most common arthritis, osteoarthritis, there are many things that you can do to improve symptoms. While arthritis cannot be reversed the major goal is to eliminate pain, improve range of motion, avoid harmful compensation patterns, and prevent an increase in arthritis. The following are very helpful in accomplishing these tasks:

Exercise

• Range of motion exercises to encourage movement and flexibility


• Strength training to ensure proper movement patterns and stability


• General aerobic activity to keep the body moving

Therapy

• Soft Tissue work (like Active Release Techniques) to ensure soft tissue is healthy and not causing unnecessary stress to joints


• Chiropractic Adjustments to ensure each joint moves properly and efficiently


• Ice: if joint is swollen


• Nutritional supplements to ensure inflammation is controlled as much as possible internally (especially a quality Omega-3)


• Specific prescription of exercise therapy

Day-to-day activities

• Avoid poor postures or staying in one position for excessive duration


• Healthy eating to prevent inflammation and encourage soft tissue as well as joint health


• Weight loss (if applicable)


• Adequate sleep, including utilizing an efficient mattress and pillow to reduce muscular and joint stress

Many of these things can be done immediately to start reducing the symptoms and progression of arthritis. Realize that arthritis is a very general term and the scale of severity is very widespread. However, knowing that arthritis is present should be an indication that action must be taken rather than a foregone conclusion that pain and loss of motion is now 'a part of life'.

For more information on how we may be able to help with your arthritis pain or limitations schedule an appointment with one of our health professionals. Let us guide you towards a healthy and pain-free lifestyle as well as one that will give you the best possible longevity!