How Chiropractic Care Can Promote Joint Health
Joints aid in the smooth and comfortable movement of the body. They help us efficiently carry out tasks like walking, running, and other routine activities. It is essential to care for the joints and keep them healthy and functioning.
Joint pain is annoying and uncomfortable. People suffering from joint pain or stiffness find it hard to engage in a busy lifestyle, get around smoothly, and enjoy their hobbies and passions.
Fortunately, joint pain is not something to endure forever. Chiropractic care is a great way to alleviate joint pain, restore mobility, and naturally heal the body to improve the quality of life.
What is chiropractic care, and how does it work?
Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and hands-on therapeutic system. It focuses on the body structure, mainly the spine, joints, muscles, and nervous system. Chiropractic care utilizes the body's ability to heal itself through improved functionality of the central nervous system.
Chiropractic adjustments work in several ways to relieve joints and soft tissue problems. A chiropractor reduces pain, corrects the misaligned bones, and improves their overall function through spinal and joint manipulation. The chiropractor can perform these adjustments manually or using special instruments without prescribing medication or performing surgery.
Chiropractors use one or more of the following ways to resolve joint problems:
Spinal manipulation therapy
Exercises and stretches
Joint mobilization
Heat or cold therapy
Ultrasound
Low-level laser
Soft-tissue therapy
Chiropractic care and joint health
Chiropractors can treat pain in any of the joints in the body from its root. They screen the patients to ensure that chiropractic care is the correct treatment option. Spinal manipulation is not ideal for inflamed or infected joints. People with weak bones should also avoid it as it may cause a fracture. Chiropractors suggest appropriate treatment measures like joint mobilization and soft-tissue therapies to patients when spinal manipulation is risky.
Let's consider some of the causes of joint pain and whether chiropractic care is correct to treat them:
Arthritis
Arthritis decreases the mobility and flexibility of the joints. Rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune diseases caused by the inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. They cause the joints to swell and become stiff, thus limiting their mobility. It's best to avoid joint manipulation in the areas with the active disease. Chiropractic care improves the functionality of the immune system and can help with these autoimmune conditions.
Osteoarthritis is most common in older people. It is a form of degenerative arthritis that causes joint pain due to the friction produced by the rubbing together of joints as the cartilage reduces or breaks down due to consistent wear and tear.
Chiropractic care naturally reduces arthritis pain. It slows down the degenerative process, lubricates the joints, and restores the spine and joint alignment to prevent arthritis from getting worse and make it less painful.
Injury
Injuries can affect the shoulder, knees, and elbows and lead to joint pain and discomfort. Chiropractic care plays a vital role in healing the pain from sports injuries, workplace, automobile accidents, or other traumatic events and restoring joint health.
Reach out to an expert chiropractor
Chiropractic care manages the pain, provides better mobility, and boosts overall health. Contact a licensed chiropractor to discuss the benefits and risks of chiropractic care to alleviate your joint pain.
