Arthritis affects about one in five Canadians or more than six million people. Many people living with this condition say they need help to complete daily tasks because arthritis limits their abilities. With symptoms like stiffness and often painful inflammation, arthritis limits your mobility and how well you can move your joints. Chiropractic care helps alleviate arthritis symptoms, so you can move through your day with less pain.
Although symptoms are more likely to show with age, more than half of the Canadians living with arthritis are less than 65 years-old. And 20 per cent of Canadians older than 15 years old suffer from arthritis, making it one of our most prevalent chronic health conditions.
Since there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, the search for a cure is ongoing. If you don’t treat it, arthritis may permanently damage the joint(s) it affects. Specific types of arthritis can affect your heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and even your skin. That’s why treatment, such as chiropractic care therapies, which help alleviate arthritis symptoms, play a vital role in managing this condition.
Treating Arthritis
There are countless over-the-counter products that provide relief from arthritis symptoms but the results are temporary. More permanent and effective forms of treatment include surgery, as well as therapeutic exercise and manual therapies, such as those a chiropractor provides. Since surgery can be quite invasive and comes with a lengthy recovery time, many people prefer exercise and manual therapies.
Exercise Therapy
A key way to improve your range of motion and reduce pain, as well as arthritis-related symptoms, is to use exercise to strengthen the muscles around your affected joint. For people with arthritis, it’s important to ensure you’re doing the right exercises. You can consult a health care professional, such as a chiropractor, to help you develop a plan that will work towards improving your mobility and limiting the risk of aggravating your pain.
Manual Therapy
Manual, ‘hands-on’ therapy and soft tissue therapy can help to increase your range of motion, reduce inflammation in your joints, and help you manage your pain. One of the most common treatments a chiropractor uses is manual manipulation of your spine. This evidence-based therapy improves your joints’ motion, and your ability to move through your day pain-free.
To get the help you need, visit and consult with a variety of health care professionals, including a chiropractor. While there is no known treatment with permanent results, your chiropractor can work with you to create a self-care plan that blends therapeutic exercises into your daily routine and helps alleviate your arthritis symptoms.
If you’re experiencing common signs of arthritis, such as joint pain, swelling, joint cracking/popping, decreased range of motion and redness – talk to your medical doctor about chiropractic care for arthritis.
To find a chiropractor near you, use the chiropractor locator on our website. In Ontario, you can visit a chiropractor without a referral from a doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care professional.