Recent studies have shown that chiropractic care can effectively help manage certain types of spinal arthritis.

According to the Arthritis Foundation in 2007, 46 million Americans are currently living with arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability. Arthritis can affect men and women of all ages and it is estimated that about 37 million or 1 in every 7 people have some type of arthritis complaint

Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited range of motion. There are over 100 types of arthritis. Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage normally protects the joint, allowing for smooth movement and absorbs shock when pressure is applied on the joint like when you walk. Without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones can rub together causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Chronic joint inflammation can be the result of an auto-immune disorder in which the body attacks itself because the body immune system believes the body part is foreign. They can result from broken bones, general wear and tear or infection.

With some injuries and disease, the inflammation does not go away or destruction results in long-term pain and deformity. When this happens, you have chronic arthritis. The most common type of arthritis that we deal with in our practice is osteoarthritis and is more common as you age. You will feel it in your joints, most commonly in your hips, knees or fingers. The risk factors for the wear and tear type of osteoarthritis include being overweight, previous joint injuries, and repetitive motion or stress on the joints.

As the degenerative arthritis progresses, there is less movement in the joint which is called hypo mobility that results in pain and stiffness.

Recent studies in 2010 have shown that hypo mobility causes degeneration of the joints that connect the bones which causes arthritis. As time goes on, both the internal adhesions and arthritis increase. Cramer, et al 2010, also reported chiropractic adjustments or manipulation will increase the space between the joints/bones, increase mobility of the joints, therefore chiropractic treatment of the spine can further prevent development of adhesions and degeneration of bone spurs which are all part of the arthritic process. In short, chiropractic adjustments can effectively treat and prevent the progression of arthritis. Regardless of the timing, the beginning of chiropractic care safely increases mobility and prevents loss of movement preventing the development of internal scar tissue and therefore arthritis