Arthritis

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis means joint inflammation, but the term is used to describe around 200 conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround the joint, and other connective tissue. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints.

Uric acid crystals, which form when there's too much uric acid in your blood, can cause gout. Infections or underlying disease, such as psoriasis or lupus, can cause other types of arthritis.

Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, your signs and symptoms may include:

  • Pain

  • Stiffness

  • Swelling

  • Redness

  • Decreased range of motion

Causes

Osteoarthritis involves wear-and-tear damage to your joint's cartilage — the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones where they form a joint. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion, but enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. This wear and tear can occur over many years, or it can be hastened by a joint injury or infection.

Osteoarthritis also affects the entire joint. It causes changes in the bones and deterioration of the connective tissues that attach muscle to bone and hold the joint together. It also causes inflammation of the joint lining.

The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis. Other causes include:

  • metabolic abnormalities (such as gout)

  • hereditary factors,

  • the direct and indirect effect of infections (bacterial and viral), and

  • immune system disorders (such as in rheumatoid arthritis and SLE)

How can treatment help

Chiropractic and physiotherapy treatments mostly treat and prevent osteoarthritis symptoms. Like most arthritis treatments, chiropractic does not cure or reverse arthritis. The treatment plan will mainly involve chiropractic adjustments, manual physiotherapy and exercises to improve your range of motion by keeping your spine in line, improve endurance and flexibility, and increase your strength and muscle tone.

Apart from exercises that are crucial to manage arthritis, chiropractors can help you develop a dietary and nutritional plan to reduce inflammation naturally.