Can a chiropractor help with arthritis in the lower back

Have you been suffering from joint pain, and the medications you have been using are not helping you? Are you in search of a comprehensive way to get rid of the painful episodes? Then chiropractic care in Medina could the answer for you. Sometimes, what you need is not an invasive procedure or anti-inflammatory medications to get the answers you seek. While pain medications may offer immediate relief, they do not treat the underlying problems. Chiropractic care not only focuses on alleviating pain, but it also attends to the causal concern.  

Chiropractic is not what you may believe to be aggressive back cracking and popping of necks into place, rather contemporary chiropractic is quite gentle and active with over 150 methods integrated by chiropractors in adjustments of the spine, muscles, and joints at varying levels of pressure.  

What Chiropractors in Medina Do  

Chiropractors usually set their attention on the correlation between function and structure, thereby targeting and offering a precision-based approach to the spine, joint and muscle injuries affecting patients. Chiropractors are quite related yet still vary widely from Osteopaths who usually engage themselves in the broader spectrum to offer treatment. Chiropractic care is designed to focus on the structure; if a joint’s structure does not look right, then it does not serve the intended purpose, this is what makes chiropractic attention suitable for dealing with arthritis because it improves functionality to arthritic joints.  

Employing Caution  

If you are experiencing neck and back pain from osteoarthritis, chiropractic care can be a source of significant relief since it is one of the safest and effective therapeutic measures to take. However, caution must be observed should you be suffering from inflammatory ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. When you visit your chiropractor for the initial evaluation, it’s imperative that you let him/her in on your medical background so that he/she can carry out a detailed physical assessment of each joint to determine the correct possible action to take. Your physician may also deem it necessary to conduct x-ray scans of your spinal column. Furthermore, patients with swollen joints must talk over the problem with their chiropractors on their initial visits to determine the right course of action, and if the swelling seems persistent, then the chiropractor will usually refer the patient to a specialist.  

Other Therapies Apart from Adjustments  

Chiropractors employ various therapeutic strategies in treating patients besides adjunctive measures. Some of these techniques are quite useful in managing arthritic problems especially pain which renders most arthritic patients incapable of carrying on with their daily activities. Here are some of the therapeutic methods employed by chiropractors:   

  • Cold laser—also known as the low-level laser is a technology used by chiropractors where they target tissues with none-heat lasers to alleviate inflammation. 
  • Electrotherapy—this is the use of minuscule electrical throbs in treating soft tissue injuries by nerve and muscle stimulation. 
  • Ultrasound—ultrasound may not come across as a treatment technique besides its known imaging purposes. However, when the sound waves are focused on soft tissues and joints, they result in the sense of massaging which relieves swelling and lessens pain and rigidity. 
  • Infrared sauna—these are rooms with measured amounts of heat mists which warm joints and offer pain relief. 

It is common for chiropractors in Medina to restore comfort and to relieve pain just by working surrounding tissues without having even to touch the arthritic joints. The aim is to ease overall pain from primary and secondary points. For instance, if there is a pain in the knee, it may develop into a secondary syndrome and affect the lower back.  

How Chiropractic can help in Old Age

Find a chiropractor that can help with old age

In addition to the treatments discussed in the first four pages of this article, many patients with osteoarthritis and degenerative discs report that some or all of the following treatments are beneficial to managing the level of pain from their condition.

Manipulation

For chronic symptoms or to provide relief from severe episodes of pain from osteoarthritis in the neck or lower back, manipulation (such as chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation) may be recommended.

The philosophy for manipulations is that joint dysfunction in the spine can produce pain, and mobilizing the spine joints through manipulations (also called adjustments) can decrease that pain.

Since osteoarthritis is a joint dysfunction, it may respond well to mobilization. Manipulation is most often performed by a chiropractor, doctor of osteopathic medicine or a properly trained and licensed physical therapist. A less forceful kind of manipulation, called traction, may also be used, e.g., gravity traction using adjusting blocks.

Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage can help reduce osteoarthritis pain and improve circulation. It can also be helpful in reducing stress and muscle tension. However, but it is important to find a professional who is specifically trained in treating people with arthritis.

For more information, see the Massage Therapy Health Center

advertisement

Relaxation

Relaxation and stress management techniques can help a patient learn how to reduce muscle tension thereby reducing pain, and there are other cognitive and behavioral techniques that also teach the patient how to control their own pain.

Examples of proven techniques that help to manage stress and relaxation include controlled breathing, meditation, biofeedback, and self hypnosis.

See Chronic Pain Coping Techniques to learn more about relaxation techniques

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

This type of therapy uses small amounts of electricity to reduce sensitivity of nerves around the spine. The treatment has few side effects and is non-invasive; however not all patients receive pain relief. Typically, a physical therapist or a physiatrist will prescribe TENS units and instruct that patient on the proper use.

See Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS)

In This Article:

Acupuncture

This technique involves inserting ultra-fine needles at specific points on the skin. Most people report a tingling sensation, feeling relaxed or even energized. Some people have found acupuncture helpful for their osteoarthritis pain, and the NIH has found it useful as a treatment for low back pain and many other conditions including osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture is considered a safe medical treatment. For this reason, many physicians and practitioners believe that acupuncture is a beneficial treatment as an adjunct to other medical treatments, and/or as an alternative to medical treatments. In certain situations, acupuncture may be used in combination with conventional painkillers, or to replace them all together.

Support Devices

There is a range of supportive devices that may be prescribed to provide additional support for the back and to help reduce arthritis pain by limiting motion in the back and taking some pressure off the vertebrae. Spinal bracing may involve a neck collar or lumbar corset.

See Using a Back Brace for Lower Back Pain Relief and Types of Back Braces Used for Lower Back Pain Relief

Other assistive devices may include canes or walkers to help the patient move around easier and with less pain. Physical therapists can recommend appropriate support devices. An occupational therapist may be consulted to identify additional devices that may help patients to better function at home and/or at work. Prolonged use of these support devices will cause additional muscle weakness, so patients should use these only as directed by a medical professional.

See When to Consider a Back Brace

advertisement

Maintaining an Appropriate Weight

Patients with osteoarthritis of the spine who are overweight or obese will benefit from losing excess weight. When appropriate, weight loss can greatly reduce stress on weight-bearing joints and limit further joint injury.

Weight control during middle age years can also help prevent the onset of osteoarthritis in later years. A healthy diet and regular exercise are needed to help reduce weight. A dietitian can help patients develop a healthy eating program that will help them lose excess weight and maintain the appropriate weight and mix of nutrients needed over the long term. Active exercise, which burns more calories, also assists with weight loss.

See A Healthy Weight for a Healthy Back

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

One of the most important things a patient can do is take care of oneself and adopt overall healthy lifestyle habits. Examples of specific healthy lifestyle habits include: getting proper amounts of rest, limiting alcohol and caffeine, not smoking, managing stress, and using good body mechanics for everyday activities (such as carrying a backpack instead of a purse and lifting with the legs instead of the back).

It is advisable to consult a doctor about lifestyle habits and recommendations and about programs designed to develop and reinforce these good habits.

Folk Remedies

There is a range of other remedies that may be discussed in relation to osteoarthritis, such as wearing copper bracelets, drinking herbal teas, or taking mud baths. However, no scientific research to date shows these approaches helpful in treating osteoarthritis.

The majority of the treatment options reviewed in this article are also the treatment options for symptomatic degenerative disc disease. This is because both osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease represent a painful motion segment in the spine.

What is best treatment for arthritis in lower back?

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids (pills or injections) to reduce pain and swelling. Other medications targeting specific symptoms or triggers of inflammatory arthritis. Physical therapy to improve back muscle strength and range of motion in the spine.

What does a chiropractor do for lower back pain?

Licensed chiropractors adjust the body to improve alignment, ease pain, and restore movement in the spine or joints. This is called spinal adjustment. Recent research shows that it can work as well to relieve pain and discomfort as drugs and surgery, and it is also safer.