Manual therapy remains the primary form of treatment performed by chiropractors. The term manual therapy refers to any hands-on procedure that we do, but most often comes in the form of an adjustment. Adjusting causes a specific mechanical force to be applied to the joint being manipulated, which in turn causes nerves to fire, muscles to relax, adhesions to be broken, and pain to be reduced.

Another important form of treatment utilized by Doctors of Chiropractic is exercise therapy. Exercise therapy is the prescription of specific exercises meant to strengthen very specific muscle groups around the joint being treated. Muscles are meant to move a joint in a precise way to balance the loads around the joint and maximize the efficiency of movement. It is incredibly common for these muscles to become unbalanced in modern life. Some muscles get overworked while others get underworked. This lack of muscular balance then alters the forces experienced by a joint, and over time the joint wears out and becomes painful.

When a joint begins to wear out over the course of a person's life, it is called degenerative joint disease (DJD), also known as osteoarthritis (OA). A person experiencing DJD will likely experience pain in the affected joint and may notice that they are less flexible. This often progresses to a grinding sensation and limitations of certain movements but not others. Symptoms of DJD are often followed up with an x-ray to radiographically confirm the development of osteoarthritis.

Chiropractic manual therapy is an incredibly effective treatment for the symptoms of DJD. Using chiropractic manipulation, we can help people with the pain and loss of mobility that arises with a degenerating joint. Our team here at Excellence in Health Chiropractic is expertly trained to treat degenerative joint disease. We will work with patients to meet their goals, and though chiropractic is a very effective treatment choice for osteoarthritis independently, it is also incredibly beneficial for patients who are already currently undergoing medical treatments with their primary care provider. We will work with you and your primary care provider to get you the best results for your osteoarthritis care.

Chiropractic manual therapy and exercise therapy can be such a powerful treatment for degenerative joint disease that a recent study published in the Journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage demonstrated that manual therapy and exercise therapy are effective even beyond standard medical care (Abbott et al., 2013). The researchers set out to find an answer to a simple question: are manual therapies and exercise therapies an effective treatment for OA patients that are already receiving general medical care such as medications, joint injections and even surgery? They followed groups of patients for a year to find out. In the end, they found that OA patients that were treated with manual therapy had improvements that were more than 3 times better than the usual medical care only group (41.4 points of reduced pain and improved function compared to 12.9 points). Exercise therapy was also highly effective, with outcomes that were over 2 times better than the usual medical care only group (29.3 points of reduced pain and improved function compared to 12.9 points).

The results of this study are very exciting. We already know just how effective chiropractic treatment can be for patients suffering from DJD. However, just because you are currently undergoing medical management for your osteoarthritis does not mean that you should not seek chiropractic care to help reduce your pain and improve your function. If you'd like to explore your options and see what chiropractic can do for you, please do not hesitate to give us a call and set up an appointment today. Our experienced and highly qualified licensed health care professionals will work with you to achieve your personal outcome goals. Take charge of your health and get back to living the life you deserve; and as always, we wish you excellence in health.

Resources:

• Abbott, JH. Robertson, MC. Chapple, C. Pinto, D. Wright, AA. Leon de la Barra, S. Baxter, GD. Theis, JC. Campbell, AJ. (2013). Manual therapy, exercise therapy, or both, in addition to usual care, for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a randomized controlled trial. 1: clinical effectiveness. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 21:525-534.

Link to Abstract:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23313532