Thank you for joining me again this evening for our nightly podcasts. I perform these podcasts in the hopes that you will be able to education yourself on the topics discussed so you can make better informed medical decisions regarding your health in the future. I am doctor Harrison Campbell of Restoration Health a premier sugar land chiropractors office. Previously we discussed stretching for the cervical spine. Tonight, we will be discussing facet degermation more commonly known as arthritis.
Arthritis at heart is simply joint inflammation. If you break the word apart you have artho and it is. Artho is joint and itis is inflammation. Combine them and it produces the joint inflammation as we stated. There is much more behind the term arthritis however. First of all, there are many different forms of arthritis. The two most commonly known are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. We will briefly explain the difference, but our focus tonight will be on osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis as sugar land chiropractors can tell you is an immune response to the joints. The body’s own immune system targets the joint lining as a foreign body and sets out to destroy it. This is why rheumatoid arthritis grows worse the longer someone suffers this condition. There is no cure, but there are options to try in order to slow the progression.
Osteoarthritis on the other hand is a natural process which occurs due to wear and tear on a joint. Some have been known to call it the disease of aging while other simply refer to it as the aging process. The truth is as we age, the ability for our body to repair itself diminishes. This decrease in healing capabilities leads to arthritic conditions and soft tissue injuries accumulating. There are also injuries which can occur to increase the rate of degeneration and we will touch on some of those right now.
Joint dysfunction is a topic we have discussed in the past and with that discussion we mentioned the abnormal motions created from joint dysfunction lead to abnormal wear on the joints. The abnormal wear or altered biomechanics is one such way degermation rates can be increased. Therefore, it is best to have joint dysfunction corrected as early as possible in order to help reduce the wear and tear on a joint and help us slow the aging process as best we can. This is where sugar land chiropractors and adjustments come into play. We correct joint dysfunction by restoring normal free range of motion to those joints.
Surgeries is another area which can increase the degeneration rates artificially. To clarify we are not saying any surgery, but we are talking about surgeries which alter the biomechanics. Fusions of joint create abnormal stress on the joints around the fusion. This abnormal stress leads to increased wear and tear on those joints leading to increases in degeneration. This is why surgical intervention is viewed as a last resort by sugar land chiropractors as a whole. It is best to try the conservative treatment options initially then should more invasive options be required we can pursue those at a later date.
A third area which can increase degeneration of the body is injury. Ligament injuries, injuries directly to a joint surface, dislocations are all things which sugar land chiropractors will say can contribute to the body wearing abnormally and thus being prone to degenerating more quickly. A good example is a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. Theoretically you can function without the anterior cruciate ligament as far as walking goes. Without this ligament however, the bones of the knee translate or move more than is appropriate for the joint. This excess motion over a prolonged period of time will lead to osteoarthritis in the knee to develop early.
If you notice the common thread from each of those three examples is biomechanics being altered. The body as sugar land chiropractors will say has set limits it is designed to function under. If those limits are followed the body will function properly. If you operate outside the limits, with a joint moving more than it should or a joint being fused to have no movement at all, there are consequences. The most obvious consequence being osteoarthritis. Remember your body will do each function you set out to do as best it can. It is why I say adaptation is the number one strength of our body. That strength however can be detrimental if you ignore the warning signs, those being pain, inflammation, decrease mobility, etcetera.
For sugar land chiropractors the best way to limit degeneration is to take care of your body. Eat healthy, exercise appropriately, and to not ignore problems. Diet is important for weight but more importantly nutrition. Your body repairs with the materials is has on hand. If your diet neglects a key nutrient your body will try to go without, that is problematic in many cases. Exercise keeps the tissue building properly, it makes the tissue functional tissue. The body does not have time for resources to be spend on something which has no function. If you do not use it you will lose it is very true when it comes to the body.
Finally, do not ignore problems. Masking the pain or ignoring it hurts only yourself. Seek proper treatment for your injuries so you can take the best care of your body as possible. If you do, you will be thankful the older you get, because you will be as healthy as possible.
Thank you for joining me again this evening for another great podcast. I hope you enjoyed the discussion on arthritis, the reasons for it, and the best ways to reduce its onset. As always should you or someone you know require a sugar land chiropractors services or simply have more questions on what was discussed please call Restoration Health today. We would love to schedule you an appointment and get you on the path to better health today. Thank you once again for joining us. Have a good night.