Utilizing Chiropractic Care for Lupus Relief
While we may live a healthy lifestyle, watching what we eat and keeping an active regime, there still may be disorders and conditions that we may not be able to avoid. Developing an autoimmune disorder may be a frightening experience, but understanding how it works and possible treatment options are the best way to live your live with it.
Lupus is a type of autoimmune disorder and it’s important to inform yourself of this disease if you or someone close to you has recently been diagnosed with it. Read more to find out more details about the disorder, what causes it, symptoms and treatment options available.
What is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, which means that your immune system attacks itself because it mistakes it as an intruder.
There are two types of Lupus:
- Discoid lupus erythematosus or DLE
- Systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE
Both of these types have variant symptoms and levels of seriousness. Discoid lupus erythematosus is most known for affecting the skin, causing lesions and leaving scars once the healing process has happened. It is rare for this type of lupus to affect the vital organs. Systemic lupus erythematosus is the more severe of the two types and unfortunately affects both the vital organs and the skin. The most common skin area is on the face, but can also be found on other body parts.
Who is at risk of developing lupus?
Statistics have shown that this autoimmune disorder mostly affects those that have African, Native American or Asian descent, with the majority being women. The most common age range is 15 to 44 years of age.
Cause of Lupus
Lupus has been found to have several factors that may contribute to the development of the disorder. These factors may include: genetic, environmental, immune and hormonal.
Common Symptoms
While there some common health issues that arise that were mentioned above with the type of lupus, there are other symptoms that are also associated with the disorder. These symptoms may include:
- Weight loss
- Chest pain
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Poor circulation in fingers and toes
- Bald patches and hair loss
- Fatigue
- Extreme sun sensitivity
- Severe joint pain
- Muscle aches
Chiropractic Treatment
There is currently no cure for lupus, but there are a variety of options available to help treat uncomfortable and painful symptoms. While there are a variety of medications that include anti-inflammatory, steroids and immunosuppressive, chiropractic care may be another option. Because Lupus causes for much pain and discomfort in the joints and muscles, chiropractic care while paired with other treatments can aide in pain relief, specifically in the back.
It is important to talk with a chiropractor about your symptoms, as some lupus sufferers are sensitive to touch, to see if using a variety of chiropractic care treatments would be a good option for your particular lupus symptoms.