Chiropractic care for sufferers of arthritis can be one of the most beneficial treatments in their repertoire to fight pain, improve flexibility and release tension in tortured joints. Unlike medication, chiropractic care doesn’t require the use of drugs, but instead focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of the body to treat the symptoms of arthritis.
What kind of arthritis can chiropractors help with?
Arthritis is not a single disease but rather a group of diseases of different severities and distinct symptoms. Therefore, it is difficult to say that in all cases of arthritis that chiropractic care is needed. However, for some of the more common types of arthritis, chiropractic care can be extremely helpful in reducing pain and improving mobility. The most regular types of arthritis treated by chiropractors are:
- Inflammatory arthritis: Caused by an autoimmune disorder which cases pain and swelling in the joints.
- Osteoarthritis: Caused by the wearing down of the cartilage in joints, which evokes inflammation and pain.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care for sufferers of arthritis and related pain?
While any good chiropractor will say that every patient is different and will require a different type of care, for the most part they will focus on realigning the parts of the body that have been impacted by arthritic pain, and relieve the tension that has built up over time. Some of the benefits of chiropractic treatments for arthritis include:
- Reduced inflammation throughout the body caused by arthritis
- Improved ability to move and better joint flexibility
- Reduced pain across affected areas and reduced referred pain in other parts of the body
- A better quality of life and ability to perform physical tasks
What are the treatments that chiropractors use for patients suffering from arthritis?
While many might imagine chiropractic care as rapid joint manipulation, chiropractors actually use a wide range of treatments for arthritis patients, depending on their needs and the severity of their case. Some patients might benefit greatly from traditional chiropractic adjustments to reduce pain and readjust their body, while for others swelling in the joints might make ultrasound therapy or dry needling the better choice. Some of the most common treatments chiropractors use include:
- Chiropractic adjustments: Chiropractic adjustment is the act of using gentle spine and joint manipulation to realign the body. It normally involves the use of controlled force to adjust the position of the bones and joints. This can be extremely helpful in improving mobility in the body and reducing pain. Arthritis in one area of the body can also cause issues in other parts, for example knee pain causing a limp with leads to back pain. Chiropractors can help treat these areas of secondary pain and misalignment, reducing the overall suffering of the patient.
- Dry needling: Dry needling uses extremely thin needles to stimulate myofascial trigger points, which are taut bands in skeletal muscle and fascia. This helps the soft tissue to relax and to reduce pain caused by stiffness associated with arthritis.
- Ultrasound therapy: Ultrasound therapy uses vibrations to release heat and energy around muscles and joints, helping to reduce pain and tension caused by arthritis.