You may wonder what the condition is, why you have it, and how a chiropractor can help.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the type of arthritis you associate with age. It's the wear and tear that comes from using your joint repeatedly. The cartilage that cushions the bones wears down, leaving less and less padding between. This causes bone to move against bone, leading to chronic pain.
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but it most often happens in the joints people tend to use a great deal, such as the hands, knees and hips.
If you have osteoarthritis, you might experience any of the following:
- Stiffness
- Pain
- Loss of flexibility
- Swelling
- Grating sensation
While it happens from using a joint, certain people are more at risk:
- Older age
- Obese individuals
- Those who suffered from a joint injury in the past
- Those with a genetic risk
Your First Appointment
Before we provide any treatment, our chiropractor will want to know about your medical history. Dr. Skocik might ask questions about the types of symptoms you're having, when they're more prevalent, and their severity. Dr. Skocik may want to use imaging to get a better look at what's going on in the affected joint and to rule out other conditions. We can also use this testing to determine if you have bone spurs, which are a common occurrence with this issue.
Chiropractic Care for Osteoarthritis
If we determine you have osteoarthritis, our next step is to establish a care plan, especially for your situation. It may include chiropractic adjustments to help with inflammation and chiropractic modalities to help with flexibility and to reduce pain. We may also recommend corrective exercises. Not only can this treatment help with joint pain relief, but it's also useful for helping to slow the progression of the arthritis and allowing you to use the joint as long as possible.
Get Chiropractic Care for Joint Pain Relief from Osteoarthritis
We at Skocik Chiropractic, provide patients in the area with a natural way to help manage joint pain and possibly help slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Book an appointment by calling (717) 540-8448.