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Arthritis
Treatment in Red Bank New Jersey
What is Arthritis? Arthritis is defined as inflammation in the joints of the body. Inflammation is swelling and is typically accompanied by pain. Arthritis has varying degrees of severity. In some individuals with specific forms of arthritis, they may never know they have it and live their entire lives with very little disability. Other individuals with arthritis can become 100% disabled. There are over 100 different types of arthritis. The most common type is osteoarthritis which can be best understood by breaking the word down: osteo (bone) -arthr (joint) -itis (inflammation). Osteoarthritis can occur in any bone but is most commonly seen in the weight bearing bones of the back, neck and spine. Stress on the joints is the primary reason that arthritis builds up in the back, neck and spine. How Does Stress Cause Arthritis? First, let’s be clear on the type of stress being described here. The type of stress that causes osteoarthritis in weight bearing joints is mechanical stress. Mechanical stress is caused by abnormal loading. Abnormal loading in the back, neck and spine is caused most commonly from abnormal posture and trauma to the back, neck and spine. Abnormal posture occurs from poor habits initiated during our youth. Some examples of this include sitting improperly and standing improperly over time. Having an improper computer desk configuration where an individual’s head leans forward constantly will cause improper posture over time and subsequent arthritis in the neck and upper back. How We Feel Affects Our Posture and Over Time May Cause Athritis How we feel can affect our posture and create poor posture and poor postural habits. For example, individuals with low self-esteem often times hang their heads forward and downward and roll their shoulders forward. Tall children may feel awkward towering over their peers and may develop the poor habit of lurching their head, neck and shoulders forward and downward. Overtime, these types of abnormal postures cause osteoarthritis in the back, neck and spine and can lead to spinal degeneration and pain. How Abnormal Spinal Alignment and Poor Posture Can Cause Arthritis Mechanical stress in the spine caused from sustained abnormal alignment from poor posture or trauma cause the bones to remodel. Bone remodels to the stress that is placed on it. How? By the process of a sophisticated internal electrical system called the Piezoelectric Effect. Here, stress causes the activation of certain bone cells called osteoblasts. When osteoblast bone cells are activated they reproduce and over time build more bone. This is one way that bone spurs are formed in the spine and in all weight bearing joints that have abnormal mechanical stress on them. Symptoms of Arthritis As stated previously, arthritis causes swelling and inflammation in the joints of the skeletal system. This low grade inflammation over time causes degeneration of the joint space and can breakdown the integrity of the bone around the joint. This can cause various levels of pain. Different Forms of Arthritis In addition to osteoarthritis, there are arthritic conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus Arthritis, and Juvenile Arthritis that are considered autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune conditions cause the body to attack itself, in this case the soft tissue and joint spaces. Rheumatoid arthritis most commonly affects the joints of the hands and feet. The most common sign is a lateral deviation or ulnar deviation of the fingers. In other words, the bones of the fingers begin to turn outward. Rheumatoid can also cause elbow, shoulder and neck problems. Joint swelling is often very significant in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Forms of Traditional Treatment There are many different type of medications that are traditionally used to treat arthritis such as Celebrex for Osteoarthritis. For Rheumatoid Arthritis, the American College of Rheumatology has many recommendations for the use of non-biologic DMARDs (disease –modyfying anti-rheumatic drugs) and biologic DMARDs. However, most medications have significant adverse reactions and side effects and need to be used with caution. Holistic Forms of Treatment for Arthritis The most important thing to understand when treating holistically is the concept of self-care. Self-care begins with understanding the nature of disease. 80% of all disease is caused by some form of stress. Begin with understanding your stress. With arthritis, understanding the underlying cause of the arthritis and the precipitating stress factor is very important. Genetics may play a link; however a stressful event of years of stress mentally and/or physically typically turn on the genetic trait leading to the beginning of the disease process. With arthritis, inflammation is abundant throughout the joints. To reduce this naturally, one looks to foods and/or herbs that address inflammation. Diet and supplementation may include an Omega 3 diet, fish oil, hops, rosemary, oleinic oil, tumeric, oats, and there are many more. Structurally, understanding your posture will help you understand where you carry your stress in your back, neck and spine. How Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Treats Arthritis Every day, our highly trained team of licensed New Jersey rehabilitation professionals treat the many forms of arthritis. Acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, and nutrition are all used collaboratively to design a program to treat our Red Bank arthritis patients. If you or someone you know would like more information about arthritis treatment in our Red Bank facility, please feel free to contact us. |
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