Conditions - Joint Conditions
Osteoarthritis - is a common rheumatologic disorder. It is estimated 80 percent of persons older than 75 years are affected by osteoarthritis pain. Although symptoms of osteoarthritis occur earlier in women, the prevalence of osteoarthritis among men and women is equal. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is largely clinical because radiographic findings do not always correlate with symptoms.
Common risk factors for Osteoarthritis:
Age older than 50
Obesity (weight-bearing joints)
History of immobilisation
Injury to the joint
Joint hyper-mobility or instability
Prolonged occupational or sports stress
Diet
The exact cause of Osteoarthritis is not fully understood. Multiple factors (e.g., heredity, trauma, and obesity) interact to cause this disorder. Obesity is a growing cause of Osteoarthritis.
The following are some of the Osteoarthritic symptoms:
-
Aching pain, stiffness, or difficulty moving the joint. The pain can worsen with overuse or in the evening. In late stages of Osteoarthritis, the pain can occur when resting.
-
Osteoarthritis of Fingers - The first joint of the finger (fingertips) become enlarged. These are called Heberden nodes and are not usually painful.
-
Hip Osteoarthritis - Hips are major weight-bearing joints and extra stress and strain are placed on them as a result, as are the knees.
Though a Chiropractor can not reverse the effects of Osteoarthritis, they can still provide the usual treatment to ensure that the patient"s joints are still working in the appropriate manner. Care must be taken especially when adjusting a patient with Osteoarthritis, so always advise your Chiropractor if you suffer from this condition.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, or even other organs within the body. Because RA can affect multiple organs of the body, it is referred to as a systemic illness.
RA is a chronic illness and can last for years. Patients can experience long periods without symptoms. RA is typically a progressive illness that can cause joint destruction and decrease the functional ability of the joint.
Care must be taken especially when adjusting a patient with Osteoarthritis, so always advise your Chiropractor if you suffer from this condition.
The symptoms of RA when the disease is active can include fatigue, lack of appetite, low grade fever, muscle and joint aches, and stiffness. Muscle and joint stiffness are usually most notable in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Joints can become red, swollen, painful, and tender.
Joint Sprain - This type of injury is most common in the ankle or wrist, but can occur in any joint in the body, including fingers, elbows, and even the spine. A sprain is where the ligaments surrounding and supporting the joint are stretched. This not only causes pain and swelling to the joint, but can also lead to long term instability. This is where the initial treatment and then an appropriate rehabilitation program should help to restore the joint to almost its original condition.
Ligaments Strain - As previously mentioned, a ligament is a band of tissue that surrounds and supports the joint. When it is stretched pasted its limits, the ligament can have varying degrees of tears within it. These take a longer time to heal than a sprain, but treatment protocol follows along the same line as a 'Joint Sprain".