Osteoarthritis – It doesn’t have to be so scary!

Okay, I am going to talk about a dreaded subject for a lot of people. AGING! Okay, did you know that there are a lot of things that happen as you age? There are several things that start to happen at around 35 years of age. One of things that happens is our body stops making cartilage, you know the slippery stuff that coats joints to help them slide nice and smooth. But like car tires cartilage is a consumable product that if it isn’t replaced on a regular basis (which your body stops doing on its own at about 35) it gets used up.

How does Chiropractic fit into the conversation about osteoarthritis?

Well, it turns out that if you can maintain full range of motion in a joint then you can potentially decrease the negative effects of wear and tear arthritis. One of the things that wear and tear can do is decrease our ability to move through a full range of motion. You know the stiff joints in the morning that take a while to get moving, like tin man in need of getting oiled. Chiropractic treatment of knees, hips, neck, and spine can help to maintain that full range of motion and get you moving better. Some things that we can take in our diet that have been shown to be helpful in preventing or slowing the onset of wear and tear. A recent study compared the benefits of high quality chondroitin sulphate to traditionally prescribed medications.

When cartilage gets used up you are left with a condition called Osteoarthritis. I call it wear and tear in my office. The truth is that if we live long enough everyone on the planet would likely have wear and tear that would show up on x-rays. The answer to that question is multifaceted, and I can’t get into specifics in the little space that I have. So, the question is how can Chiropractic help?

How does Chiropractic fit into the conversation about osteoarthritis?

We might not be able to help you run as well as a fined tuned sports car, but we should be able to change that flat tire and help you get on your way again.

Well, it turns out that if you can maintain full range of motion in a joint then you can potentially decrease the negative effects of wear and tear arthritis. One of the things that wear and tear can do is decrease our ability to move through a full range of motion. You know the stiff joints in the morning that take a while to get moving, like tin man in need of his oil can. Chiropractic treatment of knees, hips, neck, and spine can help to maintain that full range of motion and get you moving better. Some things that we can take in our diet that have been shown to be helpful in preventing or slowing the onset of wear and tear. A recent study compared the benefits of high quality chondroitin sulphate to traditionally prescribed medications.

Range of motion is one of the things that can be limited by osteoarthritis but it doesn’t have to be Chilliwack Chiropractor Dr. Spencer Devenney offers flexion distraction which is a type of mechanical treatment for those suffering from aches and pains in their lower back, and it can be used on its own or in conjunction with typical hands on therapy.

Book online now and I’ll see what we can do to work together to turn you from a rusty, cranky tin man, into a bright shiny happy one.

About the author

Author Dr. Spencer Devenney is a Chilliwack Chiropractor, who graduated in 2009 from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) He has a clinical interest in all things mechanical, IE his motto is if it hurts to move it bring it to your chiropractor first.  He really loves to write, and has been told that he writes the way he speaks… informal and down to earth.  We overheard a patient talking to her daughter and she said “I basically feel like your brother just worked on my back, He is such a nice guy”!  (Don’t worry we asked her if we could quote her and she was FINE with that…)