What it feels like, and where it comes from
Osteoarthritis is wear in the cartilage that cushions a joint. It most often shows up in the spine, hips, knees, hands and shoulders as stiffness in the morning, aching after activity and joints that feel tight or grind. It tends to progress slowly, and the stiffness itself becomes part of the problem: a joint that is not moved through its range gets stiffer and weaker, which makes it hurt more.
Chiropractic care does not reverse arthritis. What it does is address the parts that respond: the joint restriction, the muscle tension around the joint and the uneven loading that wears one spot faster than the rest. Gentle adjusting keeps motion in the joints that still move well, and StemWave therapy is used for the painful inflamed tissue around arthritic joints.
- Morning stiffness that takes a while to loosen
- Aching joints after activity or at the end of the day
- Spine, hip, knee or shoulder joints that feel tight or grind
- Loss of motion in a joint over months or years
- Arthritis already seen on an X-ray
- Pain that medication only partly controls
