Many people consider an arthritis diagnosis to be a never-ending sentence for lifetime pain – but there’s a ton of hope! Chiropractic care is an extremely effective way to manage osteoarthritis, which is the most common variety of the disease. The second well-known form is called rheumatoid, and the etiology is more inflammatory and genetic than osteoarthritis. Those who suffer from it can still expect excellent relief from the care provided by Dr. Fattie.

If you’re living with joint pain and are sick of it, give the office a call and set up an appointment for an evaluation. Dr. Fattie will perform a comprehensive initial workup and examine your joints, spine, nervous system, and medical history. She’ll then offer several treatment options geared to help with osteoarthritis and/or rheumatoid arthritis.

• Osteoarthritis

Mechanical or physical wear and tear of the articular cartilage, usually gradual from uncorrected spinal misalignment (subluxation). This is by far the most common type of arthritis and can be thought of as a slow decay of the joint. Cases of osteoarthritis can range in severity from joints that are stiff and creaking with mild disc degeneration and little bone spurs to severe degeneration where the vertebrae essentially fuse together over time.

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

An autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own tissues, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and joint deformity. There is a huge genetic component to this variety, unlike osteoarthritis where genes play a role but the physical/injury component takes the cake. RA is diagnosed with a blood test and x-rays, and can be well managed with a combined approach between our chiropractic care and your rheumatologist.

Chiropractic treatment for these conditions allows for welcomed pain relief, increased range of motion/movement and subsequently improved energy:

• Upper cervical and full-spine chiropractic adjustments

Osteoarthritis is largely caused by undiagnosed spinal misalignments. The care delivered in our office utilizes gentle, specific, and precise chiropractic adjustments to realign your spine. This takes the irritation off the nerves, joints, and discs. For those that have the rheumatoid form, spinal adjustments help the body work better as a whole by allowing the nervous system to regulate it correctly, thus creating better function of the immune system.

• Therapeutic exercises for stability & pain reduction

It’s essential for people with arthritis or any joint problem to support their skeleton as much as possible by ensuring their muscles work correctly. Muscles help the joints move normally, so if the muscles aren’t firing, are weak, or are asymmetrical, the ideal movement won’t happen. The client will start to see their range of motion go downhill and pain shows up which worsens the cycle. When muscles atrophy and weaken over time from spinal misalignment (subluxation) or inactivity pain occurs as a result. Dr. Fattie’s treatment plans come with exercise recommendations that will be done at home to help alleviate arthritic symptoms and prevent worsening over time.