Treating symptoms Keep in mind that chiropractors can't cure your arthritis. At this time, there is no cure for this ailment. However, they can help relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Spinal adjustments may be used along with other treatments to treat the condition.
Chiropractic treatment can address the cause of osteoarthritis. A joint can be damaged over time because it's misaligned or because of the way you sit, stand, or walk. Chiropractic care can fix those problems, which can stop arthritis from getting worse. But it cannot restore cartilage that has already been lost.
The chiropractor may not be able to move the arthritic joint. However, they are capable of treating many of the surrounding soft tissue problems. While this won't cure arthritis, it has been shown to have a significant impact on pain levels. Chiropractic care can relieve osteoarthritis.
While it won't repair or rebuild cartilage, it can relieve pressure on joints caused by arthritis. The chiropractor can also stop arthritis-related muscle spasms and tenderness by gently manipulating the muscles and soft tissues surrounding arthritic joints. Even if your chiropractor can't handle joints safely, he can offer you a variety of other treatment options. When you start your first visit, the first thing the chiropractor will do is review your medical history.
There is very little risk of going to a chiropractor for a consultation, as long as you are properly licensed. However, other techniques used by chiropractors, such as joint mobilization and soft tissue therapies, can be used safely. Because chiropractors don't prescribe medication, you'll also need to continue working with your doctor. Even if they never touch the arthritic joint, David Feschuk, a chiropractor from Stone Mountain, Georgia, says that treating surrounding tissues can significantly reduce overall pain.
It depends on how arthritis affects you, and then on whether your chiropractor believes it's safe to manipulate the spine. By using varying degrees of force in an effort to adjust misaligned joints, chiropractors try to improve the relationship between the spine and the nervous system, which they believe can affect the functioning of all organs and systems in the body. Chiropractors can use more than 150 different techniques to manipulate joints, muscles, and spine. In fact, there are more than 150 techniques that chiropractors use to manually adjust the spine, joints, and muscles with varying degrees of strength.
The chiropractor (or doctor) may also request x-rays to further confirm the diagnosis and determine the extent of the joint damage involved. If you've had back pain or a stiff neck, either from arthritis or an injury, you've probably considered seeing a chiropractor. During your first visit, your chiropractor should take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam of each joint to determine what approaches are right for you. A chiropractor is trained in manipulating the spine, which means they can gently realign bones and restore joints.
For arthritic patients, the chiropractor may request imaging tests, such as x-rays, before determining a plan.
