Introduction

Arthritis is generally confusing to most suffers.When some people hear this word they envision a future with crippled and twisted joints.  However, many conditions from benign to severe are catalogued under the term, arthritis. For our purposes we will restrict this discussion to the most common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care

Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD) are the labels for the most common form of arthritis, which is also called, spondylosis, if it occurs in the spine. Primarily, the condition is due to the deterioration of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces, and it is found not only in humans, but also in all mammals. When joint cartilage is harmed, the sensitive bone tissue that is normally preserved by the cartilage becomes stressed causing degenerative changes in the joint. Sometimes the bone around the joint will proliferate and make osteophytes, or what are more commonly called bone spurs. These spurs can create painful irritation to other tissues surrounding the joint, in this way complicating the already painful condition. 

Degenerative joints most often occur in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, hips, and fingers. Previous trauma, certain occupations and activities, weight, diet, and heredity all appear to influence both the onset and severity of DJD.

Pain and/or stiffness in the affected joints are primary indicators of DJD. As the condition progresses there can be loss of mobility, especially when weight-bearing joints such as hips or knees are implicated.  In some cases, if the joint is sufficiently worn and the person can no longer walk without severe pain, the joints are surgically replaced with synthetic devices. Of course, one should attempt to manage the condition early on in ones life to avoid the need for surgery.

The best management of DJD is, of course, prevention that involves taking care of ones joints at an early age.

• Making sure that all injuries to joints are properly treated will help to avoid future problems.
• People involved in occupations that demand standing or walking should wear suitable shoes that offer good support and shock absorption.
• Excess body weight can create increased stress upon the weight bearing joints of the body.

• Avoid kneeling on hard surfaces, such as when doing housework, as this can put strain and create knee pain.

• The natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants included in fruits and vegetables are crucial for healthy joints and a healthy body.

Recent studies have shown that long-term use of the nutritional supplement, Glucosamine, can not only assist with DJD symptoms, but can possibly help to rebuild joint cartilage.

Chiropractic adjustments assist in restoring proper mobility and function to the spinal joints. Chiropractic care is not only a smart idea, but extremely effective in relieving the debilitating pain of arthritis. Your Chicago chiropractor is highly skilled when it comes to arthritic pain relief. Other forms of chiropractic care may include joint mobilization, massage, ultrasound, cold laser, or electro-therapy, all of which may be helpful in the relief of painful and stiff joints. On occasion a brace is required to help stabilize the joint in order to alleviate pain. Movement is vital to the maintenance of arthritic joints. A chiropractor often suggests gentle, mobilizing activities such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi can be beneficial.

Gout

An elevated level of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints produce gouty arthritis. Generally, gouty arthritis is characterized by acute pain and swelling of the joints in the big toes, knees, ankles and wrists. A large number of people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are more often than not brought on by binge eating of the wrong foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Foods that must be avoided have a natural substance called Purines that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. Those with this condition cannot effectively metabolize uric acid, thus the buildup in the bloodstream and the ensuing joint problems. The foods most connected with high purine content are: red meat especially organ meat, certain seafood, legumes, mushrooms and other foods as well. There are other dietary restrictions that must be followed including refraining from drinking alcohol.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is systemic in nature and thought to be produced by immune system dysfunction. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, while other areas of the body can be affected as well. Morning stiffness aggravated by movement is usually associated with the disease. Often people complain of general malaise and fatigue, and the disease in its more advanced forms can affect many of the other body systems. Rheumatoid arthritis can be easily identified through definitive blood tests. Though, currently, there is no cure, in addition to medication and vitamin and diet therapy, treatment should include chiropractic adjustments to mobilize joints and help to relieve the pain and stiffness associated with this disease. Additional modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electro-therapy, and massage may also be valuable. Your Chicago chiropractor is dedicated to assisting people in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.

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At first, we may think that we are just tired from the everyday hustle and bustle of our daily lives or that we just had a series of bad springs for our bed that when we woke up, the pain never stops.  Then we check it with our doctors and find that what is causing such is arthritis back pain but luckily, with the advancement in medicine, we get to have the latest and the fastest cure for it and of course, its pain management.

For those of you who are still clueless about what causes arthritis back pain, here are numerous reasons why you have such.  Also, here are some things you could do for arthritis back pain management to help you deal with it that to help minimize the “ouch” factor.

Possible Causes

They say that determining the real cause of arthritis back pain is difficult and it requires a rigorous medical research and tests as each patient is different from the other.  But, one of the possible causes of which is the genetics though they say that there may be some genetic variations that leads you to have arthritis back pain.  Another of the possible reasons is the age of a person since we all know that as we get older, our cartilage becomes more brittle and decreased its capacity to repair itself. 

Weight also is a contributing factor since other parts of the body relies so much on our joints, therefore, excess body weight could lead to arthritis.  Previous injury, occupational hazards, and certain illnesses or infections that affected your joints or multiple episodes of gout may lead to arthritis back pain and other arthritis in your body.

For Pain Management

Tylenol is the name that you have trusted for years now when you are experiencing headache, flu, or fever and right now, they have formulated a special kind of medicine to help you with managing your pain especially back pain.  But above all, what you may first want to do is call the right doctor and a rheumatologist to find out what kind of arthritis you have and at least, you have the help of the right people with the help of your family doctor.

And surely, if you are going to ask for something to help you manage your arthritis back pain, Tylenol for Arthritis is the number one brand if you want to manage your pain.  For more details or information, log on to tylenol.com for you to have an overview about the best in arthritis pain management.

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Okay – so.. typically when I ride it's during a lesson, show, or clinic and I'm in the saddle for an hour at the very least. Lupus runs in my family and I've already got symptoms of it + rheumatoid arthritis. After riding for an extended period of time, I start to have knee pain – mostly in my right knee. I've tried jointed stirrups and ironically they caused MORE pain than they relieved. I've thought about trying the Bow Balance stirrups but I'm afraid it'll be the same thing. I have "conformational issues," as my trainer likes to put it, because I've got a 33" inseam but I'm only 5'4". This makes it hard for me to fit really nicely in a saddle without my leg looking too long (even if my stirrups are at the right level).
I know I have a problem of turning my toes out when I jump, so could this be part of the reason for my knee pain? Could it be the fact that my legs are so long? Does anyone else have this same problem and if so – what have you done that has actually worked?
I've had blood tests done every year for the Lupus. With the test – they're looking for I think three specific things.. if you only have two out of the three, they still name your results as "negative." My Dr. has said, "It's just a matter of time before the test comes back positive" – I don't really know how to interpret that.. I'm assuming that one of the things they look for is possibly age related. Who knows.. and Yes, I've tried ace bandages, I've tried a knee brace – it doesn't help. Ibuprofin sometimes works but I'm not a huge fan over taking stuff. My massage therapist has recommend Arnica – which I've yet to find – but otherwise I'm not on any medications other than the occasional Flexiril after a horseshow (which is when it's the worst).

First off, are you sure this isn't related to the RA. Are you on anti-inflammatories or steroids etc. If you are suspecting you have lupus, they can do a simple blood test, but you probably already know that.

So start there first, see if there is actually something CAUSING your knee pain vs a conformational issue.

Are you riding english then? Sorry not familiar with Bow Balance stirrups. I know that my mom had really bad knee pain that was cured when she went to the things that actually turn the stirrups the correct way. I can't remember the name of them.

I really think that if you have RA, you probably should investigate that further with this issue.

Good luck!

Hi, I have a lot of health problems including Moebius Syndrome. Some of my symptoms overlap which makes diagnosis difficult! I have an appointment with a Rheumatologist on the 28th and would like to know two things.
1. Can you have Rheumatoid AND Osteo arthritis together?

and

2. I have a million Q's but which ones are the basic one to start with??

Thank you!!

Hi,
The symptom of pain, swelling, or stiffness with limitation of joint movement is called arthritis. In certain serious types of arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) the stiffness and limitation of joint movement is especially worse for prolonged periods in the mornings. Occasionally, the symptoms may be acute with red, hot swollen joints. In chronic cases the joints may become deformed. The term arthritis, therefore, is non specific. By itself it does not refer to any specific disease. It simply denotes the symptom of some joint disease.

Only further analysis of symptoms, careful examination of the joints and a few relevant investigations may reveal the actual disease that may be the cause of the joint symptoms. The speciality dealing with arthritis and related diseases is called rheumatology. The physicians specialising in this field of medicine are called rheumatologists. In patients with arthritis of long-standing and who are unfortunate not to have been seen and treated by trained and experienced rheumatologists, the joints may get damaged and their structure completely disorganised and destroyed. In such situations the only way out is to get the joints replaced with artificial joints the so-called joint transplantation. This is done by surgeons called Orthopaedic surgeons. It is to be noted that orthopaedic surgeons specialise in surgery but not in making the diagnosis of different types of joint disease. The job of making a diagnosis by taking a proper history, carrying out accurate physical examination of the musculoskeletal system including(often called locomotor system – see below) joints, and ordering relevant investigations with their proper interpretation is done by a trained rheumatologist only.

Rheumatism is another non-specific term often used by lay persons to indicate aches and pains in the joints and the related body structures (muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursae, bones and cartilages). Joints and related body structures are often given the name of locomotor system of the body. Aches and pains in any of the structures of the locomotor system, especially if chronic, are often non-specifically referred as rheumatism. Rheumatism is, therefore, a broader term that includes arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism (e.g. myositis, bursitis, tendinitis, fibrositis, fasciitis, tenosynovitis etc.), as well as bone-related symptoms.
Aches and pains in any of these, especially if chronic, are often non specifically referred as rheumatism. Rheumatism is, therefore, a broader term that includes arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism (e.g. myositis, pursitis, tendinitis, fibrositis, fasciitis, tenosynovitis etc.), as well as bone-related symptoms.

From Leeds – According to research published in the Lancet a tail of treatments may halt progression of rheumatoid arthritis. In a randomized clinical trial conducted by University of Leeds researchers, over 500 patients with mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis were randomized to a combination of methotrexate and Enbrel or methotrexate alone. Those receiving the combination therapy were twice as likely to achieve remission and 21% more likely to achieve radiographic non-progression.

From Baltimore – According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, patients who come to their doctors appointments with a spouse or adult child are more satisfied with their medical care. In a survey of over 12,000 Medicare beneficiaries conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers, nearly 40% of patients came to doctors appointments with a companion. Those who did were more satisfied with their physician’s technical skills, information-giving and interpersonal skills. Companions frequently help clarify symptoms, and write down instruction.

And finally from Connecticut – According to research published in the NEJM, a campaign to raise fall prevention awareness can lower fall rates. Researchers from Yale showed that falls can be lowered by 9% through a media campaign aimed at raising awareness of risk factors for falls like reducing overmedication, and gait and stability training.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I’m Dr. Susan Sharma.

Duration : 0:1:46

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