By Dr. Andrea Mills
Everyone thinks arthritis is either a “normal” sign of aging, or something you get years after a major injury. Both scenarios are possible, but the bad news for the majority of people is that their everyday activities may be causing their eventual arthritis. The good news is that arthritis from normal wear and tear can be prevented, with a little know how and the right doctors on your side.
First, let’s define arthritis. From the Greek “arthro-” for joints and “-itis” for inflammation, it’s basically inflammation inside a joint. It is commonly known for causing red, hot, swollen and tender joints. Sometimes the swelling is visible to the naked eye and sometimes not, but the pain that goes along with the swelling is considerable.
If the degeneration of the joint continues, the bones around it may eventually start to rub each other, causing an increase in pain and faster degeneration of the joint space itself.
If this process occurs in the spine, you may have symptoms of nerve irritation (numbness or tingling in the arms or legs), and eventually, the spinal canal can be compromised which may hinder your ability to walk. In the joints like the knees, hips or hands, arthritis pain causes severe limitations of daily living, making simple tasks like opening jars or taking showers difficult and painful.
Many general practitioner doctors will tell you that arthritis is a “normal aging process.” So let me ask you this... if it’s a normal aging process and you have arthritis in the knees but not in the hips, are your hips younger than your knees? If it truly were a normal aging process, then all joints should be affected equally, but they’re not. Why?
Think of a car for a minute. If all 4 tires are filled to the same pressure, the car drives smoothly, doesn’t it? But if one tire gets a leak and you aren’t aware of it? As it loses air, the car starts to pull to one side, or it doesn’t turn as easily. And if you left that tire alone and didn’t refill it, all the other tires would eventually start to wear unevenly, wouldn’t they?
Your body is not that different!
If you have an injury to your left ankle, for example, all of the joints on both sides of the body will have to compensate. The increased pressure, over time, will cause them to wear out faster than if you didn’t have an injury.
The same process can happen anywhere. Let’s say you’re in a minor fender bender and walk away thinking you are not hurt. The next few days you have some muscle soreness, but within a week, you’re doing well. Unfortunately, you probably did suffer an injury to your spine... any impact that has enough force to dent your bumper can cause a minor whiplash injury. This type of injury causes long term problems, because the protective curve in your spine is straightened from the impact... and that leads to more pressure and faster wear and tear in your neck. Eventually, your doctor will diagnose you with “arthritis” and tell you that it is a normal process.
If you find a doctor who deals with the body’s structure (that’s a chiropractor!), they can help you figure out whether your body is being used “evenly” and teach you how to correct it to prevent future problems. And if you already have arthritis, a good chiropractor can help you with the pain and also help you correct some of the structural issues, if it hasn’t progressed too far.
If you were given one car at age 16 and told that it had to last you your whole life, would you take care of it differently than you do now? I know I would! I would drive it more carefully, be more diligent about maintenance, and look for problems when they are small so they can be fixed before they turn into big problems.
Your body should be treated the same way. Once it wears out, you can’t buy a new one. A little prevention goes a long way towards a happy, healthy, and long life, without pain. See a chiropractor!
I hope this article inspires you to look at natural cures for arthritis pain. For more information, please visit www.natural-arthritis-relief.com .
By Dr. Andrea Mills
Everyone thinks arthritis is either a “normal” sign of aging, or something you get years after a major injury. Both scenarios are possible, but the bad news for the majority of people is that their everyday activities may be causing their eventual arthritis. The good news is that arthritis from normal wear and tear can be prevented, with a little know how and the right doctors on your side.
First, let’s define arthritis. From the Greek “arthro-” for joints and “-itis” for inflammation, it’s basically inflammation inside a joint. It is commonly known for causing red, hot, swollen and tender joints. Sometimes the swelling is visible to the naked eye and sometimes not, but the pain that goes along with the swelling is considerable.
If the degeneration of the joint continues, the bones around it may eventually start to rub each other, causing an increase in pain and faster degeneration of the joint space itself.
If this process occurs in the spine, you may have symptoms of nerve irritation (numbness or tingling in the arms or legs), and eventually, the spinal canal can be compromised which may hinder your ability to walk. In the joints like the knees, hips or hands, arthritis pain causes severe limitations of daily living, making simple tasks like opening jars or taking showers difficult and painful.
Many general practitioner doctors will tell you that arthritis is a “normal aging process.” So let me ask you this... if it’s a normal aging process and you have arthritis in the knees but not in the hips, are your hips younger than your knees? If it truly were a normal aging process, then all joints should be affected equally, but they’re not. Why?
Think of a car for a minute. If all 4 tires are filled to the same pressure, the car drives smoothly, doesn’t it? But if one tire gets a leak and you aren’t aware of it? As it loses air, the car starts to pull to one side, or it doesn’t turn as easily. And if you left that tire alone and didn’t refill it, all the other tires would eventually start to wear unevenly, wouldn’t they?
Your body is not that different!
If you have an injury to your left ankle, for example, all of the joints on both sides of the body will have to compensate. The increased pressure, over time, will cause them to wear out faster than if you didn’t have an injury.
The same process can happen anywhere. Let’s say you’re in a minor fender bender and walk away thinking you are not hurt. The next few days you have some muscle soreness, but within a week, you’re doing well. Unfortunately, you probably did suffer an injury to your spine... any impact that has enough force to dent your bumper can cause a minor whiplash injury. This type of injury causes long term problems, because the protective curve in your spine is straightened from the impact... and that leads to more pressure and faster wear and tear in your neck. Eventually, your doctor will diagnose you with “arthritis” and tell you that it is a normal process.
If you find a doctor who deals with the body’s structure (that’s a chiropractor!), they can help you figure out whether your body is being used “evenly” and teach you how to correct it to prevent future problems. And if you already have arthritis, a good chiropractor can help you with the pain and also help you correct some of the structural issues, if it hasn’t progressed too far.
If you were given one car at age 16 and told that it had to last you your whole life, would you take care of it differently than you do now? I know I would! I would drive it more carefully, be more diligent about maintenance, and look for problems when they are small so they can be fixed before they turn into big problems.
Your body should be treated the same way. Once it wears out, you can’t buy a new one. A little prevention goes a long way towards a happy, healthy, and long life, without pain. See a chiropractor!
I hope this article inspires you to look at natural cures for arthritis pain. For more information, please visit www.natural-arthritis-relief.com .