Osteoarthritis is the most common joint affliction. As people get older, it becomes more and more common. It can be extremely disabling and painful!

While there are traditional pain relievers such as NSAIDS (anti-inflammatory drugs), chiropractic is a safe, all-natural option.

Possible causes of degeneration and osteoarthritis in the joints include:

• Everyday wear and tear
• Sedentary lifestyles without consistent exercise
• Poor nutrition in the diet
• Excess weight
• Long-term injury causing severe trauma

Osteoarthritis is also known as OA, Degenerative Joint Disease or osteoarthrosis, as it is a chronic condition.

While both males and females can get OA, males are more likely to have it before 45 years old, and women are more common after 45 years old. It can occur in anyone and affect any joint in the body although it favors the thumb, spine, hips, and knees.

The most common symptom of OA is an intermittent, achy pain that starts out of nowhere. This pain is usually accompanied with stiffness that occurs after rest and is especially worse in the morning. This stiffness usually goes away after 30 minutes of activity and exercise.

Patients with OA also find that they have a decreased range of motion, grinding and clicking in the joint, and nodules that you can feel. Doing regular movements such as gardening, playing with pets, and even getting out of bed can become a painful chore.

OA causes a lot of destruction in the body. It does this by causing sclerosis in the joints which is abnormal bone growth. This results in a loss of joint space, so the bones will grind against each other and even displace.

Cysts, Subluxations, and swelling is also the result of OA. As the OA progresses, the joints in the body will eventually deform and make daily living extremely hard.

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How Chiropractic Care Can Help in Crystal Lake

Chiropractors are excellent at finding and diagnosing any degeneration or arthritis in the joints. Listening to patients' symptoms and doing a thorough examination can reveal tumors, stress fractures, and more. Sometimes they’re even able to find a condition before the patient even knows they have it!

Osteoarthritis has certain findings that can be seen on x-ray imaging. When chiropractors take x-rays to see your spine, they can see the classic signs of OA, known as ALOSS. This stands for:

• Asymmetrical distribution
• Loss of joint space
• Osteophytes
• Subchondral sclerosis
• Subchondral cysts

If you have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, chiropractic is still an option for care! Through gentle adjustments, Dr. Josh and Dr. Emily can use techniques that put your condition into consideration and get you the help you need.

Patients with OA can benefit greatly from adjustments that helps their joints move properly even if the arthritis makes it difficult on your own. This mobilization can help with the stiffness and swelling in the joints and can help prevent further sclerosis and cysts.

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Studies on Conservative Care for OA

Many studies have been done showing chiropractic’s effectiveness in managing your arthritis. These studies have found that a truly effective and conservative approach should absolutely include chiropractic.

The Arthritis Foundation looked into chiropractic’s effect on OA and learned from neurologist, Scott Haldeman MD that, “If you have back or neck pain due to osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest therapies you can use.”

Another study published in 2020 worked to find the best practices for management of patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. The 62 member panel concluded that chiropractic should be used for the management of chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, low-back pain, neck pain, tension headaches, and fibromyalgia.

Ready to have your nervous system evaluated? At Crystal Lake Family Wellness, Dr. Josh and Dr. Emily Young address the cause of your pain, not just the symptom. We believe that education is a big part of your success! Call (815) 788-7504 for an appointment or click here to schedule online.

You may also enjoy reading: Headaches & Migraines Troubling You? Chiropractic May Help

Here’s what our patients say…

“I highly recommend Dr. Josh Young and the whole team at Crystal Lake Family Wellness. I came in with a specific issue, Dr. Young developed and explained to me a clear treatment plan. I was glad to see that this plan aimed at treating the cause of the issue, not the symptoms. I thoroughly agree with Dr. Young’s overall approach of wellness. In my case, when my nervous system is happier, my whole body is happier.

The support staff is quite friendly and easy to work with. Every time I walk in the door I am greeted with a welcoming smile. A few times I had to change an appointment on short notice, and Sophie was a delight working with me to reschedule, come in earlier, or come in later.

Throughout my life I’ve been to many Chiropractic Offices looking for the best fit. My search is over, this is it.”

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• Tian Wang, Matthew H. Pelletier, Chris Christou, Rema Oliver, Ralph J. Mobbs, William R. Walsh. A novel in vivo large animal model of lumbar spinal joint degeneration. The Spine Journal. Volume 18, Issue 10. 2018, Pages 1896-1909, ISSN 1529-9430, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2018.05.022. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152994301830247X)
• Liying Jiang, Wenjing Tian, Yingchen Wang, Jiesheng Rong, Chundan Bao, Yupeng Liu, Yashuang Zhao, Chaoxu Wang. Body mass index and susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Joint Bone Spine, Volume 79, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 291-297, ISSN 1297-319X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbspin.2011.05.015. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1297319X11001370)
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• Neogi T. The epidemiology and impact of pain in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep;21(9):1145-53. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.03.018. PubMed PMID: 23973124; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3753584. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3753584/
  Yochum, T. R., & Rowe, L. J. (2005). Yochum and Rowe's essentials of skeletal radiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott/Williams & Wilkins.
• Best Practices for Chiropractic Management of Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32749874/
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