Are you suffering from arthritic pain? Arthritis is an overarching term that can include many varieties and causes. It’s important to understand the cause of your specific arthritis and how this can affect your options for treatment.  While some forms of arthritis will benefit most from medication, many forms of arthritis will respond very well to manual adjustment and chiropractic care.  

Let’s look at the different types of arthritis and how chiropractic treatments can provide the most benefit. 

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an inflammation in the joints. When your joints become inflamed, the body interprets this inflammation as pain. The first goal for any arthritis treatment should be to reduce inflammation, which will then reduce pain.

Often, patients believe arthritis pain is for life, thankfully, that’s not always true. While the joint changes caused by arthritis are often permanent, symptoms can improve with proper treatment. However, before we can treat arthritis, it is important to understand the root cause and type. 

5 Common Types of Arthritis: 

• Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects millions of people around the world. Osteoarthritis is caused by the gradual wearing down of protective cartilage; it is most common in hands, knees, hips and spine. Chiropractic treatments are considered one of the safest treatment options for this form of arthritis. 
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: An autoimmune condition, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis causes chronic inflammation that affects more than joints. It can affect the skin, eyes, blood vessels and lungs. Because rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation, the symptoms are treatable by chiropractic care when used at the correct time. 
• Psoriatic Arthritis: Also referred to as PsA, psoriatic arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects the joints, causing them to become stiff, swollen, and painful. Psoriatic arthritis can affect anyone of any age, including children. Chiropractic treatment can benefit PsA patients by reducing pain and inflammation and aiding spinal alignment which can potentially improve mobility and nervous system function. 
• Gout: A highly painful form of arthritis, gout occurs due to an excess of uric acid in the body, which can create sharp crystals that form on the big toe or other joints. These crystals can cause significant pain and swelling. Gout can leave permanent joint damages so it’s important to engage in an effective and evidence-based treatment plan.  Unfortunately, when a Gout attack occurs, there’s not much we can do. Prevention is the best strategy and should incorporate nutrition.
• Lupus: An autoimmune condition that affects joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, and even blood cells, Lupus causes the body to attack healthy tissues and can result in pain, inflammation, and discomfort as well as reduced immune system efficiency. Chiropractic care may help to reduce symptoms of Lupus flare-ups alongside other medical treatments.

When Can Chiropractic Care Help Arthritis? 

Chiropractic treatments, manual adjustment, and shockwave therapy can help reduce symptoms of arthritis including inflammation and pain. A proper diagnosis to determine the course of care is always crucial when dealing with arthritis.  

Arthritis does not have to limit your activities or daily enjoyment of life. With proper care and treatment of the inflammation, it is very possible to reduce inflammation and pain and improve mobility.   

Want to see how chiropractic care can help your arthritis? Book an appointment!