Osteoarthritis (commonly known as wear-and-tear) is a joint condition in which the quality of the cartilage gradually deteriorates. It is part of the normal ageing process and occurs to some degree in everyone. Like many people who receive this diagnosis, you may think there is nothing that can be done about it. Fortunately, this is only partly true. While the degenerative process cannot be reversed, chiropractic treatment can often reduce pain and stiffness. Importantly, the link between osteoarthritis and pain is not very strong: someone with mild osteoarthritis can experience a great deal of pain, while someone with severe osteoarthritis may have no symptoms at all.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the spine, knees and hips. The most common symptom is stiffness, particularly in the morning. This stiffness is often accompanied by pain and reduced range of motion.
Can we help?
We cannot remove osteoarthritis, but treatment focuses on restoring the normal function of the affected joint and surrounding joints as much as possible. In this way, stiffness and pain can decrease and mobility and daily function can improve.