What is Arthritis?

Arthritis by definition means joint inflammation (Arthro = Articulation, itis = inflammation).  Long term stress to a joint leads to the wearing and tear of protective cartilage in the joint, which can cause the joint to grind, potentially making the joint stiff and painful.  With increased pressure on the bone, your body creates more bone in response, similar to building muscle when working out or building calluses on your hands.  This extra bone is referred to as bone spurs.  Bone spurs can alter/restrict the movement of the joint, which can cause pain and further increases pressure in the joint, leading to a vicious cycle of inflammation and further wear and tear.

Discs in the spine, or intervertebral discs, are tough cushions located between each vertebra which protect the spine from compressive forces and allows the spine to be flexible.  You can think of them as water balloons made of a tough rubber. 

A disc can wear down over time from long term compression, similar to hips or knees.  As the disc degenerates, it gets thinner and weaker, leaving it vulnerable to pain and injury.  In fact, as the disc gets smaller, the concentration of nerves in the disc increases, leaving the disc more vulnerable to producing pain.  Disc degeneration often accompanies arthritis.

If the disc degenerates severely enough, you may experience pain associated with the spine joints becoming “bone on bone” which is a grinding, intense pain.  Additionally, as the disc gets smaller, so do the holes in which the spinal nerves travel through, potentially compressing nerves and causing radiating pain down an arm or a leg, depending on the location of the disc.  Bone spurs growing in towards the nerve may produce the same kind of nerve pain.

What Causes Arthritis?

There are a wide range of contributing factors that can lead to arthritis.

Potential contributing factors of developing arthritis include but are not limited to:

• Poor Posture
• Chronic Dehydration
• Previous Injuries/Scar Tissues
• Previous Surgeries
• Genetics
• Inflexibility/Poor Joint Mobility
• Increased Pressure on Joints/Disc
• Hypermobility

Often, there are a combination of factors causing arthritis.   More significant health conditions may also contribute to arthritis and needs to be diagnosed appropriately in order to ensure good patient outcomes.  However, most arthritic pain is manageable with lifestyle changes and manual therapies offered here at CSMC. 

Our doctors work hard to determine these factors and come up with individualized treatment plans to reduce your arthritis pain as quickly as possible.  Reducing these factors also helps to decrease the risk of future flare-ups or additional problems from developing.

How is Arthritis Diagnosed?

At CSMC, your first visit will start with a consultation and physical exam in order to determine which tissue/structure is causing your pain, how severe the condition is, what is causing the problem, and any contributing factors that may increase your symptoms.

This involves discussing your symptoms, when they are at their worst, the impact it is having on your life and putting together a set of treatment goals you would like to accomplish (examples: picking up kids or sleeping without pain).  It is important to bring any previous medical notes or images for the doctor to review and take into consideration for your case.

Next, a physical exam will be performed, physical exams typically consist of:

• Neurological Evaluation
• Orthopedic Testing
• Postural Assessment
• Chiropractic Evaluation
• Functional Assessment
• Range of Motion Measurements
• Referral to Imaging/Advanced Diagnostic Testing (When Necessary)
• Radiographic Biomechanical Analysis (When Necessary)

These tests may aggravate your symptoms, so let your doctor know what you are feeling. For imaging and additional testing, CSMC coordinates referrals to specialty radiologists as needed.

What Treatments are Available?

CSMC takes a customized, comprehensive approach to care for all types of musculoskeletal pain. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following treatments to address your arthritis pain:

• Various Chiropractic Adjustment Techniques
  • Based on Preference/Condition
• Flexion/Distraction
• Decompression Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Ergonomic Training
• Supplement Options
• Massage Therapy
• Postural Correction
• Topical Analgesics
• Dietary/Lifestyle Recommendations

These therapies may be recommended individually or together to relieve your pain, improve your range of motion, strengthen your neck, improve posture and/or stabilize your condition depending on your needs.

For more severe/complicated cases, our doctors may decide to co-manage with another specialist to get a second opinion or additional treatments, such as medications, injections or surgery (last resort).  In these cases, our doctors will communicate with all specialists involved to ensure all your doctors are on the same page, while providing therapies to help speed up your recovery process when appropriate.