Arthritis | Arthritis Treatment in St Louis

Arthritis is inflammation of the joint which is usually accompanied by pain and swelling and frequently, changes in structure. There are many different types of arthritis as well as many causes. Some include:

Age

Cartilage becomes more brittle with age and has less of a capacity to repair itself. As people grow older they are more likely to develop arthritis.

Weight

Because joint damage is partly dependent on the load the joint has to support, excess body weight can lead to arthritis.

Previous Injury

Joint damage can cause irregularities in the normal smooth joint surface. Previous major injuries can be part of the cause of arthritis.

Occupational Hazards

Workers in some specific occupations seem to have a higher risk of developing arthritis than other jobs. These are primarily high demand jobs with repetitive motion such as assembly line workers and heavy construction.

Some High-Level Sports

It is difficult to determine how much sports participation contributes to development of arthritis. Certainly, sports participation can lead to joint injury and subsequent arthritis. However, the benefits of activity likely outweigh any risk of arthritis.

Illness or Infection

People who experience a joint infection (septic joint), multiple episodes of gout, or other medical conditions, can develop arthritis of the joint.

Arthritis Treatment

Chiropractic as a regular treatment will also help prevent arthritis, or at least its damaging effects. This form of prevention is probably the most crucial benefit in treating the disease. The lifestyle changes and therapies associated with chiropractic will influence diet, exercise, and maintaining the body’s alignment that practitioners believe will offset health problems that might accompany arthritis. Proper weight, proper diet and a healthy immune system are all important factors in limiting the devastating effects of all forms of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Chiropractic offers multiple benefits in offsetting the undesirable effects of this disease that can take so many undesirable forms for so many people.