Arthritis can affect our joints and can
leave us feeling stiff, achy, and sore. In a 2013 report, The Arthritis Society
of Canada reports that 16.6% of the adult population
had arthritis. Arthritis affects more women than men and 56% of people with
arthritis are under 65 years of age. Many people
associate arthritis with “getting old”. What you may not be aware of is that, several
forms of arthritis exist and can affect different age groups and populations.
The two most common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid
and osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis (also called degenerative
joint disease) is the most common form. It usually develops overtime from wear
and tear placed on our bodies. After a while, with repetitive damage, the
cartilage on the ends of our bones gets thinned and our bones can feel like
they are rubbing together. Osteoarthritis most often affects weight-bearing
joints such as knees, low back, neck, and shoulders (but can be found in most
other joints as well).
Unlike Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) is an autoimmune disease that can affect both young and old. RA occurs
when the body thinks the fluid within our joint capsules is a threat/foreign
intruder. The body then “attacks” its own synovial fluid and causes damage
along with swelling within and around the joints. Unlike Osteoarthritis, RA
first affects smaller joints (like our fingers and toes) and can occur in both
sides of the body concurrently. Furthermore, the swollen joints often feel warm
and red to touch.
Its important to realize that with age,
most people will have some radiological signs of osteoarthritis. Although it
may “appear” you have arthritis on an x-ray, this does not necessarily mean
your pain is coming from the changes that are visualized on a film. For this
reason, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis of why you have pain. In
the end, it may not be the arthritis that is causing you pain. Poor posture,
sitting at your desk all day, inactivity, old unhealed injuries, and repetitive
strain injuries are all things that could be causing you pain, yet labeled as
“arthritis”.
So what can you do if you have arthritis?
Arthritis is not reversible but your pain is. Furthermore, you can prevent
arthritis from getting worse. One of the
most important things you can do is get your joints moving! Exercise helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility,
flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Although exercise is important,
getting adequate rest is also crucial. Our tissues need time to regenerate and
repair. Also, rest helps to deactivate joint inflammation.
How can your chiropractor help? Chiropractic
adjustments can help maintain movement within each joint to keep the synovial
fluid lubricated and the joint moving at its best. Whether it is your back,
neck, knee or shoulder, there are chiropractic techniques that may help.
Furthermore, acupuncture has been shown to decrease pain associated with
arthritis and increase tissue healing. Do not hesitate to contact a local
chiropractor for more information about how it may help you.
Dr Stacia Kelly
Sources:
The Arthritis Society of Canada
Arthritis Alliance of Canada
http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=62
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