Looking for treatment for arthritis pain?
Are you worried about arthritis? Feeling stiff and sore? Treatment for arthritis pain is a common request we get at Canning Healthcare.
1 in 6 people suffer from it in Australia. And contrary to popular belief, arthritis can affect anyone, regardless of age, background or lifestyle.
But what exactly is arthritis? It’s the formal name for a group of conditions that damage the joints, resulting in pain, stiffness and loss of movement.
There are over 100 types of arthritis, each affecting joints differently and causing symptoms that negatively affect the quality of life.
Types of arthritis
Degenerative Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of degenerative arthritis. It’s when cartilage (cushioning between bones) wears away, making the bones rub together, affecting the joint bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. Degenerative arthritis commonly affects the knees, hips and spine. Risk factors include age, injury, obesity, genetics and bone deformities.
Inflammatory arthritis
Inflammation is your immune system’s way of fighting infection, but it can malfunction and inflame unnecessarily. This is what happens with inflammatory arthritis. The overactive inflammation damages the joints and in some cases, the organs. Types of inflammatory arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
Gout
Gout is when small crystals of uric acid build-up and crystalise between joints, causing inflammation. This is a result of uric acid not being broken down in the kidneys and passing through the urine. Gout is more common in people who are overweight or have high cholesterol.
Do I have arthritis?
Are you feeling joint pain? You may be worried that you have arthritis. But joint pain can be caused by injury or other illnesses as well.
If you have the following symptoms for more than a few days, it’s best to get it checked out by your doctor or chiropractor.
Common symptoms of arthritis:
Swelling
Pain
Stiffness
Tenderness
Redness
Loss of flexibility
Decreased movement
Fatigue
Unfortunately, there’s no cure for arthritis. Treating arthritis is more about managing the symptoms and improving your quality of life.
There are many different medications for arthritis pain relief, but there are also natural treatments that can be as effective.
Chiropractic care
As chiropractors, we specialise in the musculoskeletal system. We assess where your arthritis is situated in the body and make adjustments to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and restore movement.
We give you exercises to assist in arthritis management at home and prescribe natural supplements to reduce joint pain and inflammation.
Acupuncture
At Canning Healthcare, we also use acupuncture to complement chiropractic or as a standalone treatment. Acupuncture helps to reduce inflammation and lessen the severity of pain.