Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis? Your Chiropractor May Help
As we age arthritis can show up almost anywhere - in the hands, the back, the shoulders, knees or hips. A neighbor that I knew was an upbeat person who loved her grand-kids and her garden.
But when she reached her mid sixties, she felt both of her loves were slipping away from her as she fought rheumatoid arthritis. When her grand-kids came to visit, she could barely get around to enjoy their visit. Her knees and her hands were a constant frustration with painful stiffness, fatigue and sometimes fever.
She had tried all sorts of topical pain relievers on her knees and she had tried hot packs on her hands. But the fight was an ongoing frustration and seemed to be winning. Then she went to a chiropractor for an initial visit.
The chiropractor used a spinal adjustment which may help increase function and may help bring pain relief. The chiropractor’s goal is to avoid surgery and pain medication by helping to achieve better spinal health and overall function of the body’s nervous system.
In addition to spinal manipulation a complete medical history and review of work history and daily activities is included in the assessment.
Working with my friend’s doctor, the two were able to work out an ongoing plan of treatment, that included regular visits to the chiropractor, range of motion and stretching exercises, regular swimming and a series of strengthening exercises. With this program my friend became upbeat and more active again.
She persisted and gradually regained much of her life. By staying active and getting regular treatments she was able to hold her own with a very difficult arthritis. She could often be seen puttering in her garden, or out on the lawn with her grand-kids. As she advanced in years she did run into more arthritis in her back and her hips. But she continued treatment and never gave up. She continued to live in her own home with some help, and she continued to see her grandkids and be out in her garden.
If you feel like arthritis is creeping into your life and gradually swallowing up your activities, see your physician and see your chiropractor to work up a program that fits your life and helps to put arthritis in its place.