Goodbye Arthritis

In practice we see a lot of patients who suffer from pain due to arthritic changes. Some patients have back and neck pain as a result of this, while others have pain in the larger joints such as the hips or knees. Interestingly, patients who come in with these kinds of conditions almost always say to me: “I have pain, it’s just a part of getting older I guess.” Well, if you have ever read one of my articles or ever spoken with me, you will know that telling me something is just a part of getting older gets me to launch off into one of my soap box moments. I have so many friends, patients and family members who are older and who are living pain free, quality filled lives and I refuse to subscribe to the “It’s part of getting older,” theory. Now, I know what you are going to say. You are thinking: “As you get older you will see!” And I will reply, “Being completely pain free is possible for a majority of patients in pain.”  Here’s how.

In my many years working in healthcare (over 16 years helping patients,) I’ve found that for patients with

arthritic changes, mobilization and movement is helpful for joint health. There was a study, (you all know how much I love studies!) that was published by the AMA a few years ago that showed that just walking for 30 min per day helped patients with arthritic changes to have less pain. The study did note that at first the pain was increased and that for some patients in the study getting into walking daily was difficult, however over time the benefit to patients was significant. In addition to encouraging our patients to increase their mobility, we also recommend, for patients in pain, specific rehabilitation exercises that strengthen the involved muscles, help with balance and stretch muscles that may be guarded, in spasm or in some way imbalanced. The patients who stick with their rehabilitation / corrective exercise regimens are ALWAYS the ones who do much better and who see resolution much faster.

Of course as a Chiropractor I must explain about how manual medicine modalities help patients with arthritic changes to be pain free. “Manual medicine modalities” is a catch all term that we use to describe the non invasive interventions that we use to help patients with painful musculo-skeletal conditions. Some of my favorites include heat and cold therapies which can help relax muscles and reduce inflammation.  Another favorite is Ultrasound which can significantly reduce inflammation.  Muscle stimulation may help reduce muscle spasm/ guarding, help send a new message to the brain about pain, and depending on the type of muscle stimulation, may help reduce inflammation as well. Soft tissue and joint mobilization help improve mobility and range of motion. Laser therapy stimulates healing and reduces inflammation. For some patients, ergonomic suggestions, orthopedic supports, orthotics and durable medical devices can also be helpful noninvasive additions to treatment. These are just a few of the available modalities and a few of their benefits. The bottom line is this: adding in manual medicine methods to corrective exercises is a winning proposition.

Those of you who have read our column before are expecting me to talk about how nutrition can play a

HUGE role in getting to that pain free status.  I will not disappoint! Many patients with arthritic changes will agree that inflammation is a big contributor to the pain that they experience. Patients often get prescribed steroids, traditional non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents or COX 2 inhibitors, once they are diagnosed with arthritic conditions. These medications target the inflammatory process at different points in an effort to reduce inflammation and influence the patient’s pain level. Well, here’s a little known fact. You can influence the inflammatory pathway by changing the diet and even by adding in certain superfoods and supplements. I’m going to share (with hippa released permission,) the story of a patient who has spinal stenosis. She came in with pain that at times was 10/10 and she could barely do anything at home. The biggest problems for her were vacuuming her carpet, loading her dishwasher and even just bending forward to make her bed or put on her shoes. She was having a hard time, and was not particularly impressed when we suggested that she increase her mobility with the prescribed exercises. She had also never been to see a chiropractor before and may have heard some horrendous things, so you can imagine how much pain she had to be in for her to make her way to see one. When we talked about how nutrition influences inflammation though, she got it. She was determined to be pain free and she was on board for all the dietary recommendations. Within 3 months her pain level was so low that she was able to not only do her house work, but she was also able to help her daughter with her household chores and was also able to help out with grand kids. In 6 months she was completely pain free. She also noted that she felt so much better and healthier in general. She was so happy with her progress that she agreed that we could share her story in the event that it might be helpful to someone else. At the end of the day, what we take into our bodies matters and clinical nutrition therapy targeted at the inflammation process can be outstanding in its ability to reduce overall pain.

Neuromuscular reeducation helps patients in pain by disrupting the pain patterns that have been established especially in patients in chronic pain. Cognitive methods as well as physical medicine methods work together to fill in the final piece of the pain free puzzle.

Even though this sort of non invasive protocol will work wonders for almost all patients, as with anything else there are going to be a couple of patients for whom this approach will not be appropriate. In school when we are training to be physicians, we learn that when treating with patients we go from the least invasive method to the most invasive. For patients who fail non invasive therapy, options such as holistic treatments, medication as well as surgical interventions should not be overlooked and generally those patients are identified early and referred to the appropriate provider that can get them to pain free as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm supermom it’s true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your healthcare provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. Stay in touch with us on Facebook. We appreciate you.