Pain from arthritis occurs from inflammation in the joint space which is a result of the deterioration of the cartilage which lines the joint. This means that you will eventually get friction created from the two bony surfaces as they rub together.
Arthritis is incredibly common, affecting most adults as they progress through life. The degree to which one may experience pain and deformation from this process depends on different factors.
Good advice for those experiencing the effects of arthritis include staying active as much as possible – as you start to become less active, you lose more of the supporting muscle strength which actually helps to slow down the process and help keep you active. Activity can also produce endorphins which act as a natural pain reliever.
Try non-impact activities such as swimming, cycling and tai chi.
There are supplements which are shown to help reduce pain associated with arthritis such as omegas, glucosamine and chondroitin, turmeric and co-enzyme Q10. You may need to take these for up to 3 months to be effective. Remember they are also preventative – although you may not feel they are doing much, they are working to enhance healing thereby slowing the process by creating the right building blocks to help repair joint cartilage.
Osteopathy and massage can help with arthritis.
Many of the clients which attend Osteopathy and therapy in our Newcastle office experience back pain or neck pain resulting from this process in the spine. You may have heard of spondylitis or spondylosis. Again, it is important to remember that reversing the process is unlikely – however managing the pain and restriction, and improving quality of life are achievable with treatment and self-management.
Practitioners assess range of motion, areas of pain and rule out any other triggers. This then allows us to target tissues which responded to the arthritis by tightening up and restricting movement and probably adding to the process.
Clients often report that they are able to see blind spots from better neck movement in the car, able to walk further, are more comfortable in bed and have less worry about their condition.