How to Keep Arthritis from Slowing You Down
WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?
More than 54 million Americans suffer from arthritis—that’s 23% of all adults! Almost all Americans over the age of 50 show some varying degree of arthritis symptoms.
Beyond the numbers and statistics, arthritis is inflammation of the joints, causing pain and stiffness that can worsen with age. Symptoms of arthritis can include restrictive range of motion, poor posture, pain during or after movements, and skin that is swollen, red, or warm to the touch around joints. Most of these symptoms affect joints such as the knees, hips, lower back, neck and fingers.
Arthritis is a debilitating affliction that can prevent you from completing even the simplest daily tasks. Advantage Healthcare’s goal is to help you understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments for arthritis.
There are different types of arthritis, so it is important to know the difference between them.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
To start, let’s take a look at osteoarthritis (OA). This is the most common form of arthritis, affecting over 32.5 million American adults. OA is caused by damage or breakdown of cartilage between bones at the joints. Some signs and symptoms of OA include pain or aching, stiffness, crackling, enlargement and inflammation.
There are also two types of OA: primary and secondary.
Primary OA is the most common form. It is a slow, progressive condition that usually strikes after the age of 45. It develops when excessive stress is placed on ordinary healthy joints, or when normal amounts of stress are applied to an already weakened joint. Body weight (obesity) and family history are contributing factors to primary OA.
Secondary OA usually strikes before the age of 40 and is primarily caused by trauma to a joint such as a car accident, fall, or failed surgery. It can also be the result of many small injuries over time.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Now, let’s talk about rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue in the joints as if it were a foreign material. The immune system is attacking the body’s health cells by mistake, causing painful swelling in the affected parts of the body. Women are three times more likely to have RA than men.
HOW AHC CAN HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN
Physical rehabilitation partnered with chiropractic care and medical treatment has proven to be an effective method for treating arthritis. Exercise and physical rehabilitation help relieve arthritic symptoms by strengthening bones, muscles, and joints, increasing flexibility, improving the immune system and decreasing stress. Advantage Healthcare also offers joint injections such as Hyalgen for knee pain. Hyalgen is a natural substance found in joint tissue and fluid and acts as a shock absorber and lubricant. Chiropractic care helps to restore proper alignment to the spine and body by moving vertebrae back into position and therefore restoring normal range of motion necessary for proper circulation and repair of joints. Our medical weight loss programs can also help those who have developed or are more likely to develop OA as a result of being overweight.
At Advantage Healthcare, we have a Medical Doctor, a Doctor of Chiropractic, and a Nurse Practitioner on staff to provide specialized care that’s tailored to fit your needs. Arthritis is a common problem that we see every day at Advantage Healthcare. If you are suffering from arthritis, please give us a call today and set up your free consultation so we can get you back to living a happy, pain-free life.
