What is Arthritis?
Arthritis literally means “inflammation of a joint.” It is is a common condition which causes pain, swelling, inflammation and often stiffness in one or several joints of the body. There are two main types of arthritis; Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. There are also many other types of arthritis including ankylosing spondylitis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is usually found in one, usually weight bearing joint for example the knees, hips, neck and back, base of the toes or hands. Osteoarthritis is so common that its is often thought to be a normal process of ageing. It can be extremely painful and is a major cause of time away from work and causes severe disability for many people. It mainly affects adults.
In Rheumatoid Arthritis, the joint lining becomes inflamed as part of a disease precess that affects the whole body.
How can Osteopathy Help?
Osteopaths successfully treat patients with arthritis every day. The gentle manipulative and massage techniques from osteopaths can help some arthritis sufferers and so you may not have to put up with your pain. Is is often untrue that because there are degenerative changes that show up on an X-Ray, that the only option is painkillers and that nothing can be done. Every treatment is individual and gently moving and stretching an arthritic joint and massaging surrounding muscles and tissues can help ease some of the pain. The treatment should not be painful and often the befits are felt almost immediately.
At The London Road Clinic, we feel that it is important for you to have some control over your pain and thats why our osteopaths will give you advise on posture, exercise and daily activities to achieve your goals. Sometimes X-rays, scans or other tests may be required and your osteopath may refer you to your GP for any additional investigations and treatment.