An estimated 80% of all Americans over the age of 58 suffer from back, neck or hip pain due to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) simply puts abnormal bone growth within a joint. This abnormal bone growth leads to swelling and pressure, which may cause pain. Th most common locations for OA include the neck, low back, hip and hand joints. If you have pain in any of these joints thay should be examined for the presence of OA.
Early doctors beleived OA was a normal “side effect” of the aging process. But physicians then began to find patients in their 30’s or even their 20’s developing OA for no apparent reason. It was later discovered OA does not form as the result of aging, rather it forms as a result of abnormal stresses placed on the joint. Abnormal biomechanics (motion) in a joint causes abnormal bone growth.
We now know restriction of motion in any of the 28 joints in the spine can lead to the formation and progression of severe osteoarthritis. This helps explain why OA can be found in a 26-year-old female two years following an untreated automobile accident. In fact even the stresses of everyday life can lead to abnormal joint motion.
Unfortunately, once the bone growth occurs, the process cannot be reversed. However, with modern techniques we can now prevent the start of OA in some individuals.
Doctors of Chiropractic are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of joints with abnorman motion. Through modern processes of physical therapy and gentle mobilization, Chiropractors are now helping hundreds of thousands of individuals prevent and treat osteoarthritis.
Arthritis can be debilitating. For those who would like to know if the joints of their spine are functioning correctly, they should contact their chiropractor who can evaluate and treat this condition.
