What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition that typically affects the most repetitively used joints in the body such as knees, hips, back, shoulders and hands. The pain is the result of progressive erosion at the joint surface leading to swelling and changes to normal range of motion.
Causes:
Healthy joints are surrounded by a capsulated that is filled with fluid to help lubricate movement (much like oil in your motor car). Within this capsule, bones join together to allow movement in certain directions and each of these bone surfaces are in covered with cartilage (a strong, smooth and absorbing surface) that allows the bones to slide over each other with minimal damage and resistance. As we age, the body and joints slowly wear out – with the rate of wear depending on stress and load placed on the joint over time or previous injury in that area. As wear and tear occur the joint space and fluid within becomes narrower, and the smooth strong cartilage begins to break down. Eventually, this result in the bony joint surfaces rubbing against one another causing pain, inflammation and swelling. This process (and further complications) steadily continues resulting in pain and Arthritis (also known as joint degeneration).
Symptoms:
The main symptoms of arthritis is stiffness particularly after increased use (such as sports, gardening housework) or stiffness first thing in the mornings, where heat and slow movement can eventually help reduce the pain and inflammation within the joints. Furthermore, it is often seen on one side of the body (i.e. right knee) more so than the other side due to a previous injury or trauma in the past.
Need relief?
Arthritis is very common and something majority of people will suffer from at some stage in life. Depending of the degree of degeneration in a particular area relief can vary; however, there are always steps that can be taken to improve any level of arthritic discomfort. Fundamentally, you must “move it or lose it” – with hands-on therapy used to disperse swelling and restore normal range of movement plus self management techniques to further improve weight loss/load through the joint, reduce pain and a better lifestyle can be achieved. Arthritis is best diagnosed through x-rays and manual assessment. At Bodyline Health our chiropractors use onsite X-rays and traditional treatment such as massage and gentle joint manipulations to help free up the joint and lasting pain relief.
To find out more about treatment for arthritis call our clinic on (03) 9017 4784 and Dr. Phil is more than happy to chat to you about your concerns. Alternatively, we are open 6 days a week to talk to our staff of or you can book an appointment anytime on our website at www.bodylinehealth.com .
