Chiropractor for Arthritis in Anchorage, AK
Better Health Alaska’s Chiropractors: Expert Arthritis Relief for Anchorage
If you have arthritis, you’re all too familiar with the discomfort, pain, and general degradation to your quality of life that comes with it. You can’t move, bend or barely use the affected joint. To make matters worse, arthritis can develop in virtually any joint. The ones most commonly affected include:
- The hip
- The knee
- And the back.
Although there is no cure for arthritis, chiropractic care is one of several holistic methods of care that can be used to manage the condition and reduce its impact on your life. It does this by:
- Reducing joint inflammation
- Reducing pain
- Slowing the further degeneration of joints
- And improving the range of motion
This is where we, Better Health Alaska Chiropractors, come in. We offer arthritis relief and other types of care. Our healthcare team here has seen and treated many thousands of different musculoskeletal conditions, including numerous arthritis cases. Just contact our chiropractor who takes insurance at 907-346-5255 to make an appointment.
Better Health Alaska: What to Expect
Chiropractic care is just one of several conservative, holistic methods used to treat arthritis. Others include massage therapy, special exercises, and sometimes even dietary changes.
Your First Visit
Your first visit will typically entail a discussion of your symptoms as a doctor of chiropractic reviews your history. Next, a comprehensive exam will allow the chiropractor to render an official diagnosis. From there, a treatment plan will be developed.
Treatment will likely consist of several different holistic methods used in tandem. Typically such techniques and approaches include:
- Chiropractic spinal adjustments
- Physical therapy
- Nutrition advice
- Massage therapy
- Weight loss tips
- Posture advice
- And more…
Of course, every individual is different, so no two treatment plans are likely to be the same. But often, a multifaceted approach is used to optimize the effectiveness of all of the treatments used.
Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Treatment for Arthritis
Chiropractic care is usually most effective over the long-term – especially in cases involving arthritis. Because arthritis is not currently curable, it’s best approached from a management perspective. That means, you’ll start a chiropractic regimen in response to a diagnosis of arthritis. And, once started, you will continue that regimen indefinitely – in that way, you can halt, or at least, slow the progression of the disease.
Additionally, since it is a conservative treatment method, chiropractic care can help you without posing many risks. Even simple anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs )often have negative consequences when used over the long term. Not so, with chiropractic care and the other techniques listed above.
Also, it is common medical practice to exhaust conservative means before trying more invasive measures. In that light, chiropractic care provides a good first step after a diagnosis of arthritis.
Is Chiropractic Good for Arthritis?
Chiropractic care is good for arthritis in a couple of different ways. There’s no cure for arthritis, and chiropractic care does not permanently eliminate arthritis, but it does help to reduce pain, slow the degeneration of joints, and improve range of motion.
Below are just a few studies that show how powerful seeing a chiropractor for arthritis really is. The following studies all deal with osteoarthritis, which is the most common type of arthritis. However, we will also go over what chiropractic care can do for those with rheumatoid arthritis, as well.
Chiropractor for Hip Arthritis
- This study, published in 2010, followed the progress of four patients diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis. These four people were given a total of nine chiropractic sessions each, and their outcomes were based on pain and range of motion.
- At the end of the study, all four patients reported improvements in both pain and range of motion. The overall improvement percentage was nearly 70%.
Chiropractor for Knee Arthritis
- A case study followed the treatment of a 54-year-old woman with knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. She had been experiencing pain for about three years before seeking chiropractic care. The doctor of chiropractic treated her with a combination of active and passive therapies, as well as nutritional therapy.
- The woman experienced improvements in both knee pain and range of motion during the treatment and five months after. This is a great example of the kind of multi-faceted therapy we do at Better Health Chiropractic. For arthritis, a combination of active and passive treatments can help to restore motion to the joint and reduce pain through reducing or eliminating inflammation.
Chiropractor for Back Arthritis
- This larger study of 250 people compared the effects of moist heat and chiropractic care on those with back pain from osteoarthritis. The patients were randomly split into two groups. One group received only moist heat therapy for their back pain, while the other received both moist heat and chiropractic care.
- The two groups were identical at the beginning of the study in regards to pain and range of motion, but that didn’t last long. Those in the chiropractic group experienced significant pain relief whereas the moist heat group did not. Pain relief was more rapid and more profound in the chiropractic group, as was increased range of motion.
Chiropractor for Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body mistakes native tissue in the joints for invaders. This causes the body to attack the joints, which causes chronic inflammation. The normal type of chiropractic care for osteoarthritis isn’t ideal for rheumatoid arthritis because severely inflamed joints shouldn’t be manipulated. But, that doesn’t mean that chiropractic care can’t help. It can.
- One study showed that chiropractic care helped lower inflammation markers circulating in the body. And lower inflammation markers mean less inflammation and less pain. This is why many rheumatoid arthritis sufferers often take medication and see a chiropractor to help manage this disease.
Types of Chiropractic Treatment for Arthritis
The goal of any chiropractic treatment for arthritis is to reduce inflammation and improve range of motion, as the studies above demonstrate. While spinal adjustments are a major component of any chiropractic treatment, they are far from the only tool in a chiropractor’s toolbox. Since it is a full-body approach, you’ll often find that the chiropractor’s office includes a physical therapist, a massage therapist, and a nutritionist.
Some chiropractors are even nutritionists themselves, so they can better help their patients. They understand how all the separate parts of the body interact with each other. They know that an issue with the foot or the knee can cause problems all the way up to the spine.
When you visit a chiropractor for arthritis, you’ll likely get an approach that includes:
Spinal adjustments
Massage therapy
Stretching and exercises
Nutrition tips
Weight loss tips
Physical therapy
Anti-inflammation techniques, including ultrasound, cold laser therapy, electronic stimulation, and heat and ice therapy.
Posture tips
Chiropractic Treatment Better Than NSAIDs
This natural, conservative approach makes chiropractic care even better for arthritis than some over-the-counter drugs that are considered safe in low doses. In fact, one study looked at which is better for treating arthritis: chiropractic care or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Chiropractic care, however, was found to be the better option as it wasn’t associated with the negative side effects of NSAIDs and it could actually help reduce pain and improve range of motion. The authors of the study suggested that chiropractic care, when used with other options such as rehabilitative stretches and exercises, should always be considered the best conservative treatment option for arthritis.
Is Seeing a Chiropractor for Arthritis Safe?
Since chiropractic care is a non-invasive and conservative treatment method, it’s considered very safe for arthritis. Most patients who experience adverse effects state that their discomfort is mild and usually dissipates within 24 hours. The Arthritis Foundation recommends chiropractic care as an effective and safe way to manage arthritis.
When compared to injections and the use of dangerous pain medications, chiropractic care is incredibly safe. This is because doctors of chiropractic take a natural, full-body approach to arthritis. Even if they can’t adjust a specific joint because of inflammation or pain, they can often treat the area around that joint, or any other areas of the body that may be affected.
Chiropractor for Arthritis: Conclusion
As the evidence suggests, arthritis sufferers should consider chiropractic treatment before seeking other treatment options, including NSAIDs. Expert chiropractors, like the ones that have been operating in Alaska for 20+ years at Better Health Chiropractic, are well-versed in treating arthritis. They offer cervical spondylosis treatment and back arthritis treatment in addition to treating arthritis of the knees, hips, and shoulders.
There are many different treatment techniques available with the most common being exercises that help improve mobility as well as chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, and physical therapy stretches. Chiropractic care is a great treatment option that can offer people with arthritis relief from chronic discomfort!
Contact Better Health Alaska in Anchorage or Juneau today to experience the relief that thousands of Alaskans have come to know.