Arthritis care in Mesa, AZ

In one study, researchers looked at 40 men diagnosed with degenerative lumbar disease at L5-S1. Half received a single adjustment (an L5-S1 “pull move”); the other half received no treatment. They were then measured for:

• Height, using a stadiometer (the height bar on your doctor's scale)
• Perceived low back pain, on a 10-point scale
• Neural mechanosensitivity — how much tension was in the nerves, using a passive straight-leg raise
• Spinal mobility in flexion, using the finger-to-floor distance test

Critics might say a single treatment doesn't mean anything long-term. But what medical treatment for degenerative disc disease is anything other than temporary — and how many come with only a very small list of minor side effects? Even if chiropractic provided no long-term benefit, if you suffer from chronic low back pain, even a single day's relief is valuable. And from personal experience, a full course of care can produce very strong results.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and the knee is one of the most affected joints. Joints normally go through cycles of damage and repair, but sometimes the repair process changes their structure and shape. Cartilage — the smooth, slippery surface covering the ends of the bones, plus the two meniscus rings that spread your weight across the knee — becomes thin and rough, so the knee no longer moves smoothly and feels stiff and painful.

Osteoarthritis can affect people of all ages but is seen more often in women over 50. Trauma, injuries, other joint problems, genetics and excess body weight all raise the risk. Pain may be worse at the end of the day, when you rise from sitting or lying down, or on stairs; the knee may not bend or straighten as far as it should, and it may crackle, pop, click or creak. You'll likely have good days and bad days.

In knee osteoarthritis the surrounding muscles have usually become weak and the joint stiff, which makes it hard to walk, kneel, bend, squat and sit down. Manual therapy and supervised exercise have significant functional benefits and may postpone or prevent the need for surgery. A complete plan usually combines passive treatments, where the joint is moved for you, with active ones, where you do most of the work — in the office and with at-home exercises — using techniques like massage, manual therapy, ultrasound, stretching and rehabilitative exercise.

If the ongoing problem is left alone, it keeps deteriorating; timely care may slow that and ease the pain. And if symptoms can't be controlled with these measures, injections or surgery may be the next conversation with your medical doctor.

• Lose excess weight: every extra pound adds two to four pounds of pressure on the knees. It may be the hardest part of the plan, but also the most important — and any exercise helps, even upper-body strengthening.
• Strengthen the hips, not just the knee: weak hips put more pressure on the knees, while strong, stable hips give the knees less work rising from a chair or on stairs.
• Keep moving: joints were built to move, and the least active people tend to have the most arthritis pain. Choose lower-impact activity like swimming, bicycling or pool exercise.
• Consider a brace: even a simple compression sleeve may reduce pain; a customized unloader brace takes pressure off a specific area of the joint.
• Use pain relievers cautiously: over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or naproxen help short-term, but they aren't curative and have side effects.

For many patients, rheumatoid arthritis has impacted their life so much that they rest most of the day and avoid hobbies they enjoy. Our goal is to get you back to doing what you love without struggling through immense pain. Before any adjustment, we'll ask about your medical history, your symptoms and what you've already tried. Answer openly — we're not here to judge you, we're here to build a plan that gives you a better quality of life.

Besides joint and spine manipulation, care may include heat and ice therapy, massage therapy, electrical stimulation and rehabilitation exercises. Many of our patients are able to taper off some pain medications, or no longer need them at all.

The sound you hear during an adjustment is called joint cavitation: a bubble forms in the joint fluid as the joint moves, then rapidly collapses. How loud it is doesn't matter, and it has little to do with how effective the treatment is. The adjustment opens up the joint space, increasing range of motion and circulation and easing muscle tension — often the real source of spinal and joint pain.

It's nothing like the loud crack of a ligament or tendon injury (and movie sound effects aren't realistic anyway). Chiropractors are trained to use very little force and keep the joint within a safe range of motion. Arthritic, previously injured or artificial joints can also pop or squeak because of scar tissue or wear — tell your chiropractor about any previous injuries or artificial joints. And if you don't hear a pop, it doesn't mean the care wasn't effective.