At Advantage Chiropractic Clinic, we don’t think there’s a worse online medical “rabbit hole” to go down than osteoarthritis. You read about pain and stiffness – symptoms that seem to start creeping deeper into your hands, knees and hips – as you scroll through the Google results. Suddenly, you are certain that you have an intimidating disease called osteoarthritis.
We’re here to tell you to stop scrolling, step away from your computer and take a deep breath.
A Common Condition
While we can’t call joint stiffness and soreness from osteoarthritis “normal,” it is common. So common, in fact, that nearly everyone will experience osteoarthritis in their lifetime. While this sounds a bit frightening, it doesn’t need to. “If we all live to be 105, we’ll all have degeneration of our joints. The ones we are concerned about is if you feel it at an accelerated rate,” said Dr. Brad Adams, D.A.C.O.
Osteoarthritis is characterized as degeneration over time of the end of bones where we have cartilage. Also known as degenerative joint disease, or DJD, osteoarthritis is really “wear-and-tear” arthritis. While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are things that can be done to reduce your discomfort and improve your quality of life.
Osteoarthritis, Explained
To get a better idea of what osteoarthritis is, think of the shape of your bones. Where two bones meet, each has a small lining over the bone that can be compared to a sponge. That sponge has a bit of “water” in it, so when the joints are compressed or move, the sponge secretes some water, or in this case synovial fluid, which lubricates the ends of the joints. Over time, those sponges can get damaged, tear and dry out. When this happens, the sponges aren’t able to secrete as much fluid and the sponge doesn’t function as well. That leads to friction, pain and the breakdown of the joints, also known as osteoarthritis. Often, the pain in the joints that patients feel isn’t just from arthritis. It’s actually from the muscles and joints around the area that are modifying because of the arthritis.
It doesn’t mean that you’ll lose the ability to use your hands or that you have to spend your life in pain. At Advantage Chiropractic Clinic, we utilize several therapies and supplements to reduce pain-causing inflammation, alter adapted patterns that cause pain and restore normal movement. However, the degeneration of joints is so normal that regular therapy may not even be needed.
Don’t Delay
If you think that you’re experiencing symptoms of DJD, come see Dr. Adams and Dr. Tom at Advantage Chiropractic Clinic sooner rather than later. Catching osteoarthritis early means correcting your movement patterns and reducing inflammation so that you don’t end up with all of the scary symptoms that you read about online. Contact us today for an appointment!