Joint Pain Anatomy
By Debra Rodzinak
Painful joints are among the most common pains experienced by people everyday. With an extremely wide variety of treatments and remedies floating around the internet, people are left with information overload. However, knowing some basic facts about joints can help consumers make informed choices when it comes to dealing with joint pain.
NSAIDs
Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed class of drug in the U.S. However, when it comes to joint pain, even if NSAIDs are effective at initially masking joint pain, this pain quickly returns, calling for the need for additional and even more NSAIDs to bring the same level of relief.
Another downside to NSAIDs is that patients who use this type of drug for long term joint pain relief can see their joints degenerate. After joints degenerate, surgery is the only option left. Instead of masking the pain, it is better to treat the underlying core issue for joint pain.
Surgery
With hip replacements for adults 45 and older almost tripling in 10 years and knee replacements soaring over 5 million in the same period of time, NSAIDs are now seen in the chiropractic realm as one of the main reasons for chronic joint instability due to muscle inhibition. When muscles are inhibited, tendon pain and conditions such as tendonitis present. Athletes who regularly get pain in the joints of their knees find that surgery is often the only option left after years of taking NSAIDs. This ends the careers of over half of competitive athletes involved in jumping sports such as basketball and volleyball.
Chiropractic
Chiropractic treatments for joint pain uses no drugs or surgery. Rather, by treating the core source of pain, patients are able to find relief with chiropractic treatments. A skillful chiropractor looks past traditional medical practices and focuses on finding the joints and muscles that have been affected by joint pain.
Often, chiropractors find that the actual source of joint pain comes from the spine. By bringing the spine into proper alignment, the rest of the body becomes able to perform as intended, leading to decreased overall pain. Many issues in the legs, feet, and hips are a direct symptom of a spine that is out of alignment. In a domino effect, once the spine is properly aligned and functioning properly, the hips regain their proper alignment, which leads to the knees and feet working properly.
If you are interested in finding a path to overall health and wellness without the use of drugs or surgery, drop by The Joint Chiropractic today.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.