“Can chiropractic help arthritis?” That’s a question every chiropractor is asked on a regular basis. Depending on the chiropractor, the answer might be “It depends”, “I don’t know”, or “Yes! Of course!” How can that be if medical doctors say arthritis can’t be reversed? Well, let’s take a look and see how chiropractic can help arthritis. There are two kinds of arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. DJD or osteoarthritis in the spine, is usually caused by one or more bones in the spine that are out of alignment. If your car was out of alignment, these parts will wear out quicker than the rest of the car. Your spine is no different. If you have misalignments in your spine, the discs and bones surrounding that joint will develop arthritis faster than other areas of your body. The typical changes seen on X-ray include: joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis (increased bony formation around the joint), subchondral cyst formation, and osteophytes. The body reacts this way in an attempt to stabilize your spine. Over time, this process will cause fusion. Usually, the problem is not noticed until the disc is completely diminished and the spurs (or osteophytes) are pressing on nerves, causing pain.
The typical medical approach to dealing with this type of arthritis is self-medication with over-the-counter painkillers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Tylenol, Advil, etc. If not resolved, you can end up on steroids or prescription painkillers that can lead to addiction. The eventual medical solution is surgery, sometimes very risky surgery with long-term consequences.
The other kind of arthritis, is called rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling and disfiguration, usually seen in the hands. As with most autoimmune conditions, the cause is unknown. Yet, treatments start with over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, then prescription painkillers, then immunosuppressant drugs. The mandatory warnings on these drugs warn you of infection, disease and even death, so take them with caution.
There are two ways chiropractic can help those with arthritis. If you do, indeed, have spinal misalignments (subluxations) that can cause discs to wear down more quickly, we can help correct these misalignments with gentle, specific adjustments. As your body stays in its proper alignment, pressure is taken off the nerves and your nervous system. When that happens, your symptoms tend to clear up. If you maintain that proper alignment of the spine, there will be less nerve pressure therefore less likely for your symptoms to come back. Biomechanically, chiropractic care can increase your mobility and flexibility because of a proper aligned spine giving you more movement. Neurologically , chiropractic adjustments can help take off stress to your nervous system, allowing your body to rest, relax, and heal naturally.
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