Joint Pain, Arthritis, and Chiropractors

Yes, as your local chiropractor in San Jose we can help with all sorts of joint pain, and even help alleviate many of the problems associated with arthritis.  Joint pain can be a result of a variety of causes, including repetitive motion injury, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.  In most cases chiropractic treatment is an effective adjunct to physical therapy and medication in pain relief as well as in reducing future joint degradation.

Joint Pain Relief

Joints thrive upon their ability to move, and any pain or condition that restricts movement is likely to cause degeneration in the long run.  Chiropractic care can go a long way in preserving and even extending the range of motion for any of your joints.  Before discussing issues specific to arthritis, here are a few additional health tips on how to keep your joints healthy and flexible.

• Exercise  Not only is vigorous low-impact exercise beneficial for your heart and lungs, it is also good in supporting joint function.
• High Quality Diet  Eliminating or reducing sugar and starchy carbohydrates from your diet can help reduce joint pain and other conditions.
• Optimal Vitamin D Levels  Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are known to cause bone, muscle, and joint weakness and pain.  But remember that taken in excess this vitamin can become toxic.
• Omega-3  Getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from high quality fish oil can curb stiffness and joint pain by its ability to reduce inflammation throughout the body.
• Glucosamine and chondroitin  Both of these are naturally found in healthy cartilage and can improve joint mobility and slow osteoarthritis-related damage to the joints.

Arthritis Pain Relief

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects over 1.3 million Americans.  This debilitating disease causes chronic inflammation of the joints, resulting in pain and limited movement.  Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of the membranes that surround your joints resulting in bone destruction and joint deformity.  The most common areas affected are the neck, hands (wrists and fingers), knees, ankles, and toes.

The initial symptoms of joint stiffness, tenderness, swelling, and pain with movement may be subtle and may develop over several weeks followed by loss of function in the joints.  Without arthritis pain relief our daily activities and capabilites may become severely restricted.

There is no cure available, but the goals of treatment include relieving joint pain and inflammation, slowing joint destruction, and improving the function of the affected joints.  In addition to seeking care from a rheumatologist, it is highly recommended to seek care from a physical therapist or occupational therapist and a chiropractor.

Your chiropractor can provide you conservative care to help mobilize joints within a pain free range of motion, as well as address muscle issues to improve your flexibility and function in activities of daily living.  Your chiropractor can also advise you on nutrition and supplementation that can be helpful in controlling and reducing joint inflammation.

Hip Arthritis

Hip Degeneration

The most common hip pathology seen in adults in a chiropractic office is degenerative joint disease or hip arthritis.  This condition happens gradually over time and becomes more common as we age.  Hip arthritis produces hip stiffness, hip joint pain, weakness, instability that lead to considerable modifications in activities of daily living such as walking, climbing stairs, or driving.  Without arthritis pain relief one’s mobility may become seriously limited.

Aside from age, other risk factors that can increase the likelihood of deterioration include being overweight, previous joint injury, muscle weakness and imbalance, poor biomechanics, and congenital deformation in the joint cartilage.

Conservative treatment, including chiropractic care and physical therapy, can eliminate symptoms, slow down further deterioration, and restore adequate function.  Conservative care includes mobilization and adjustment of hip, pelvis and spine.  Home care involves non-weight bearing to low-weight bearing range of motion exercises and stretching.  It is best to consider nutritional modification and orthotic support when addressing hip joint pain from arthritic degeneration.