Arthritis is a condition in which a joint or joints suffer from pain and inflammation. There are actually more than 200 different kinds of arthritis. Arthritis can affect people of any age and is not limited to only those who are aging. Arthritis can also affect various parts of your body and is not specifically limited to one area alone. Each type of arthritis has a different cause. Arthritis is a compilation of conditions that cause damages to the joints and may also be affecting the soft tissues of the body. These soft tissues can include the ligaments, lungs and even heart valves.

Some facts about arthritis: it is the leading cause of disability in those fifty-five and older. Early diagnosis and treatment can help make your life better. Also, chiropractic treatments can help alleviate the pain associated with arthritis and, in turn, help you sleep better, move better, and feel better overall.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 27 million people suffer from osteoarthritis. In most cases, it is treated with anti-inflammatory medication. This is actually not the right way to treat this condition because constant use of an anti-inflammatory medication can cause impairment in the healing rate of cartilage and damage to the lining of the stomach. There are better options to strengthen and heal your joints.

You can reduce your need to take anti-inflammatory medication with various chiropractic treatments. These treatments can include the use of laser, gentle exercising techniques, and even changes in your diet.

Chiropractic care, when combined with medication can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and help the patient live a pain-free life. Although chiropractic treatment alone is not the cure for arthritis, it can serve as a valuable adjunct to traditional medicine.

Adjustments and manipulations of the spine and nerves are proven to help improve, alleviate, and sometimes completely remove the conditions of arthritis.

While we know that medications and prescriptions are also effective as a part of arthritic pain treatment, they are effective in the sense that they often treat or mask the overlying pain. Most medications and prescriptions also come with many possible side effects, especially with prolonged use. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical medicine, chiropractic medicine actually seeks to eliminate the underlying cause, discomfort and stresses without the side effects you can often get with prescriptions and medications.

If you're considering utilizing chiropractic treatment as your primary option in the treatment of your arthritis, please discuss this decision with both your medical doctor or specialist and your chiropractic doctor. Discuss the damage that has already been done by the arthritis and ask if chiropractic treatment is right for you. Chiropractic care can be a powerful, complementary addition to traditional arthritic treatments as prescribed by your physician.