Arthritis

Arthritis = Joint Inflammation

 

Arthritis or chronic joint symptoms affect approx. 70 million adults, roughly 1 in 3 Americans.

 

The 2 most common forms of arthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

 

 

 

OSTEOARTHRITIS is by far the most common form of arthritis in the U.S.  It affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine.  Less frequently it will affect the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles. It affects an estimated 21 million adults! It begins with the breakdown of joint cartilage, resulting in pain and stiffness.

 

Work-related repetitive injury and physical trauma may contribute to the development of OA.  It usually comes on slowly.  Early in the disease, joints may ache after physical work or exercise.

 

 

Symptoms of OA:

 

∞ Steady or intermittent pain in a joint

∞ Stiffness after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting.

∞ Swelling or tenderness in 1 or more joints

∞ Crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone (called crepitus) when the joint is used.

What Causes OA?

 

The exact cause is unknown, but scientists believe that joint damage begins in response to physical stress (i.e. injury or repetitive movement).

 

General 'wear and tear' can erode the cartilage that normally encases the ends of the bones in a joint.  Cartilage serves to cushion the bones and helps the joint move smoothly and easily.  As cartilage breaks down, the ends of the bones thicken and the joint loses its normal shape.  Eventually, the bones may rub against each other causing pain.

 

 

Factors that may INCREASE your risk of developing OA:

 

Age, Female gender, Joint injury or overuse caused by physical labor or sports, Obesity, Joint alignment, Hereditary gene defect, and other certain diseases.

 

 

 

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS can affect many different joints, and less commonly, other parts of the body such as the blood, the lungs, and the heart.  RA affects 2.1 million Americans (about 1% of the adult population in the U.S.) and it's 2-3 times more common in women than in men, and generally affects people between the ages of 20 and 50!

 

Inflammation of the joint lining, called the synovium, can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and redness.  The affected joint may lose its shape, resulting in loss of normal movement.  RA can last a long time and can be a 'disease of flares' (active symptoms) and/or 'remissions' (few to no symptoms).

 

 

Symptoms of RA:

 

       *differ from person to person, but generally include:*

 

+ Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling.  Affects both sides of the body at the same time (a.k.a. 'Symmetrical pattern' of inflammation).

+ Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long rest.

+ Joint inflammation in the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand.

+ Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well

+ Symptoms that last for an extended period of time.

+ Symptoms in other parts of the body, not just in the joints.

 

 

 

 

What Causes RA?

 

RA's an autoimmune disease.  The body's natural immune system isn't operating as it should; it attacks healthy joint tissue, beginning a process of inflammation and joint damage.

 

The exact cause as to why your immune system goes haywire? The answer is still unknown.  It could be hereditary involvement, environmental factors, or triggered by another disease to just name a few.  But one thing is for sure: it is NOT contagious, so you don't have to worry about 'catching it' from anyone else.

 

 

There is one more type of arthritis that is unfortunately becoming quite popular with the younger crowd and it is: JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.

 

JRA is most common in children.  It's best described by 4 major changes in the joints that may develop, and these features are: joint inflammation, joint contracture (stiff, bent joint), joint damage, and/or alteration or change in growth.  Other symptoms that may arise: decreased activity level and weakness in the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints.

 

However, signs and symptoms vary from child to child, and even from day to day! Diagnosis is hard to test.  Your child has to have a present illness of arthritis in one or more joints for at least 6 weeks after all other possible illnesses have been ruled out!

 

 

 

3 TYPES OF JRA:

 

Pauciarticular -- affects 4 or fewer joints

 

Polyarticular -- affects 5 or more joints

 

Systemic Onset -- affects at least 1 joint but causes inflammation of internal organs as well.

 

 

 

 

WHAT CAN YOUR CHIROPRACTOR DO FOR YOU?

 

To determine the type of treatment for your arthritis, your chiropractor may have to examine all aspects of the disease and how it has affected your body.  They could treat it by adjusting the spine to correct subluxation and other imbalances, thus allowing the body to heal itself.  Once the spine is adjusted, the fixed vertebrae are 'free' and the damaged areas above and below are realigned.  Or, they will treat arthritis with a combination of spinal adjustments and other therapies, such as physical or massage therapy, nutritional supplements, and stretching/strengthening exercises.