Don't Take Arthritis Lying Down
We take great pride and professional reward in helping those living in arthritic pain to move forward to pain free living and a better quality of life
We gladly do this as one way to give back to the Hackettstown community who have done so much for us over the years. Education is one element of the Village Family Clinic here in Hackettstown, NJ.
Arthritis
Years ago, doctors hardly ever told arthritis patients to “go take a hike” or “go for a swim.” Arthritis was considered an inherent part of the aging process and a signal to a patient that it’s time to slow down.
However, recent research and clinical findings show that there is much more to life for arthritis patients than the traditional recommendation of rest and drug therapy.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation” and is often used in reference to rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases include more than 100 conditions: gout, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and many more. Rheumatoid arthritis is also a rheumatic disease, affecting about 1 percent of the U.S. population (about 2.1 million people.)
Although rheumatoid arthritis often begins in middle age and is more frequent in the older generation, young people and children can also suffer from it. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis refers to joint inflammation but instead of being caused by an autoimmune disorder it is caused by “wear and tear”. What we mean by wear and tear is that at some point either trauma, repetitive use, improper biomechanics, or some other imbalance in your musculoskeletal system causes one joint to degenerate much faster than the others which leads to arthritic symptoms in that joint. Chiropractic care focuses on restoring or maintaining normal joint motion and balance in your spine and other joints which will go a long way in preventing or relieving osteoarthritis symptoms.
Should Arthritis Patients Exercise?
Exercise is critical in successful arthritis management. It helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility, flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Rest, on the other hand, helps to decrease active joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue. Arthritis patients need a good balance between the two: more rest during the active phase of arthritis, and more exercise during remission.
During acute systematic flares or local joint flares, patients should put joints gently through their full range of motion at least once a day, with periods of rest. To see how much rest is best during flares, patients should talk to their health care providers. We also have very good success in treating acute arthritis flare ups with our cold laser therapy.
How Can Chiropractic Help?
If you live in Hackettstown, NJ and suffer from arthritis, our doctors and their team at Village Family Clinic can help you plan an exercise program and create a treatment plan that will help you combat arthritis pain.
