If you live long enough, everyone develops it. In fact, after the age of 40 most people start to develop arthritic changes; luckily natural arthritis pain relief exists too though. There are different types of arthritic conditions, most have some kind of pain associated with them. These conditions include:
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
- Gout
- Juvenile arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and affects over 32.5 million Americans.
What is Arthritis?
“Arthr” means joint, and “itis” means inflammation so in its simplest definition arthritis means inflamed joint. The aging process is degenerative by nature, meaning it breaks things down. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that supports smooth joint motion. Osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative arthritis) occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of bones wears down over time leaving the bone rubbing on bone. OA can damage any joint in the body, however, joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine are more frequently affected.
Arthritis Symptoms
Here is a list of common symptoms which can develop over a long period of time:
- Pain in the joint during movement
- Joint tenderness when pressure is applied
- Stiffness following periods of inactivity
- Loss of range of motion
- Grating sensation with use of joint
- Bone spurs can form around the affected joint
Common risk factors:
- Risk increases with age
- Women are more likely than men to develop the condition
- Carrying extra body weight stresses the joints
- Sports injuries
- Certain occupations with repetitive stress on a joint
What Causes Arthritic Conditions?
Causes of arthritis can be physical, metabolic and in some cases genic with the most common being physical.
Just like parts on cars, trucks, and machines wear out… so do joints in the body.
Under normal circumstances, as joints wear, joints can be repaired. The body has an amazing self-healing mechanism that helps to replace worn and damaged joint tissue with new healthy cells. Unfortunately, as we age that repair mechanism starts to lose its effectiveness, and joints start to show deterioration.
Dietary choices and medications can be other factors that interfere with the repair process besides aging.
Diets That Contribute to Arthritis
A diet that promotes inflammation will result in joints that heal poorly whether through an injury or through the aging process. Foods that are genetically modified (GMO), foods high in artificial chemicals like sweeteners/flavors, alcohol, unhealthy fats like hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup are just a few.
Foods I encourage people to avoid include:
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Breads, pastas, carb’s
- Tomatoes
- Coffee
These foods can often be issues for people. However, there can be additional, unknown foods that trigger inflammation and to find these we perform a food sensitivity test to determine if there are hidden food issues.
Medications Can Contribute to Arthritis
Most common type of treatment can lead to the biggest failure. Many people who suffer from arthritic conditions, like osteoarthritis, turn to NSAIDS (naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and others) for pain relief. And while these types of medications can bring some temporary arthritis pain relief, they can perpetuate the problem long term.
Research has shown that they can increase the level of oxidative stress (bad stress) in the body which leads to further inflammation and pain. They also interfere with the formation of cartilage which is needed for the joints to be repaired. This is very detrimental and impedes the joints healing.
Signs of a Concussion
Under most circumstances, a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head. However, the head does not need to physically strike an object. The force of the skull and neck whipping back and forth can cause the brain to slip and slam into the skull from the inside. Often with no external signs of damage.
A person may start to develop signs and symptoms of a concussion which include confusion, memory loss, headache, nausea, and dizziness. You should seek chiropractic attention immediately if you have experienced any of these symptoms after a car accident.
What Holistic or Alternative Methods Can Help Arthritic Conditions?
At Holistic Health & Chiropractic of Frankfort in Frankfort, IL we use several methods to alleviate pain and restore function to unhealthy bodies.
Chiropractic
Joints that are misaligned wear out faster. By adjusting and correcting the alignment, we give the joint more life in alignment and less stress to contribute to the wearing out process.
Physical Modalities
Modalities like electric muscle stimulation and ultrasound are methods we use to help improve blood flow to joints, tissues and muscles as well as reduce pain and inflammation.
Acupuncture
This ancient and effective method helps to reduce stress and inflammation in the entire body or can be used at specific locations. This helps give the body a chance for its own healing mechanisms to kick in and work.
Functional Medicine
As previously mentioned, testing food sensitivities can be very useful to determine if there are hidden issues that contribute to inflammation in the body. And with this information, making dietary changes can be key. There are also supplements and nutrients that work to reduce inflammation as well as help the repair processes in the joints.
Exercise
Some think that if arthritis is due to wear and tear that exercise will worsen the condition. However, if the individual gets adjusted and is properly aligned, exercise actually helps to keep the joint lubricated and moving. As we say in our office, movement is life. And the more movement we lose, the less life our body has.
At-Home Arthritis Pain Relief
Consider the above suggestions, remove foods from your diet that could be contributors to inflammation, determine what kind of exercise your body can handle and do it regularly.
Remember that movement is life!
There are times when a patient needs help beyond a conservative approach and if needed, Dr Heyer may Millions of Americans suffer from arthritis’ painful affects. While osteoarthritis may come with age it doesn’t mean that we have to let it stop us from living a full life.
Safe, natural holistic approaches are becoming more common place and Dr. Jon K. Heyer, D.C. at Holistic Health & Chiropractic of Frankfort has many different services available, such as chiropractic, acupuncture and functional medicine, that have helped countless patients ease their pain and regain their lives.
If you, or someone you know, is needlessly suffering from an arthritic condition, isn’t it worth finding out if you can be helped? If you’ve tried the approaches to arthritis pain relief discussed in this article and are still suffering, we can help.
Call (815) 469-7472 NOW to schedule an appointment with Dr. Heyer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arthritis Pain Relief
Can arthritis be cured?
Osteoarthritis is a predictable process. In many cases the process can be slowed but not reversed. If degeneration of a joint(s) is too extensive, there may not be anything any doctor can do in that instance which is why early detection and proactive treatment is recommended.
Other types of arthritis that are autoimmune in nature may not be curable but holistic methods have been shown to be very effective in reducing symptoms and alleviating pain.
Who gets arthritis?
After the age of 40 most people will start to develop, to some extent, the most common type of arthritis known as osteoarthritis. Common locations are hands, feet, hips, knees and the spine.
There are some forms of arthritis that affect juveniles (children under 16), while others won’t develop until a person is older.
What’s the best way to treat arthritis?
While many people use NSAIDS for short term arthritis pain relief, research has shown that this type of medication can worsen the conditions with long term use.
Some people benefit by using a combination of hot and cold therapies on their aching joints to alleviate their arthritic pain.
Many people are finding a better answer to arthritis pain relief and enjoy long term better health by using holistic methods like chiropractic, acupuncture and functional medicine to address the underlying causes and giving people a better quality of life.
