“I don’t deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.” – Jack Benny
One of the dreaded “plagues” of older adults is arthritis.
For some, it seems as if it is inevitable that they will suffer the pain, stiffness, and swelling that often accompanies most forms of arthritis.
How common is it?
According to the venerable CDC, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
“In the United States, 24% of all adults, or 58.5 million people, have arthritis. It is a leading cause of work disability, with annual costs for medical care and lost earnings of $303.5 billion.”
With close to one out of every four adults suffering from some form of arthritis, it is highly likely that everyone knows someone with arthritis. But what are the different types of arthritis?
Simply put, according to sources such as the Mayo Clinic,
“The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints.”
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Other forms include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and lupus.
Types of Arthritis Treatment
The unfortunate reality of arthritis today is the common prognosis: there is no cure for arthritis.
So, unlike other types of joint pain issues, the best that can be achieved is effective treatment. And the treatment goal is to limit and minimize pain and inflammation, while preserving joint function. Current treatment options include medications, weight reduction, and exercise.
However, when it comes to the most common treatments for arthritis, these are typically traditional oral medications like analgesics and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). In addition, health providers may make use of other common treatments such as corticosteroid injections, ultrasound guided major joint injections, sacroiliac joint injections , and even joint surgery.
But there are alternate treatments and therapies that are often overlooked or dismissed by traditional medical
An article from the Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) has noted the benefits of soft tissue therapy for those with arthritis in the form of deep tissue massage and soft tissue manipulation,
“Massage can help different forms of arthritis in specific ways. For example, if you are living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), massage can improve healthy circulation throughout the arthritic joints, reducing swelling and improving quality of life. Avoid massages on affected joints during an RA flare up, however. For osteoarthritis, massage can help decrease swelling and pain, improve joint mobility and provide tension and stress relief.”
Another effective arthritis treatment alternative is Active Release Techniques®, or ART®, which uses a literal “hands on” approach to soft tissue therapy.
ART® and Arthritis
While it seems that there are no real “cures” for the different types of arthritis that afflict people, there are treatments that can bring significant relief and improvement to sufferers.
And one of those treatments is Active Release Techniques®.
ART® practitioners have noted that,
“In the case of arthritis, Active Release Techniques® loosens up joints both on the spine and in non-spinal areas that are typically common to developing arthritis. These areas include, but are not limited to the neck, lower back, hips, knees, shoulders, and hands.”
“Using ART® on arthritic joints and surrounding tissue can alleviate pain and symptoms that occur as a result of arthritis. In many cases, ART® can restore most of the function in arthritic joints.”
Pain and Performance Solutions in Santa Rosa knows, too, the benefits of treating arthritis joint pain with therapies such as Active Release Techniques®. In fact ART® has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of soft tissue-based and joint pain conditions. And the results are always positive.
Best of all, unlike certain other modes of soft tissue treatments, there are no known side effects, nor are you required to commit to lengthy, ongoing treatment sessions with ART®.
And our years of experience at Pain and Performance Solutions have shown us that most joint and pain conditions, including muscle strains, sprains, and many other musculoskeletal disorders, can usually be resolved in less than half a dozen treatment sessions.
The best part about using ART® for the treatment of your body’s joint and soft tissue conditions is that it can bring relief from pain and more full and functional movement.
Treating your Arthritis Joint Pain Effectively with Pain and Performance Solutions
If you are suffering from chronic joint pain due to some type of arthritis, your next move should be making an appointment with Pain and Performance Solutions.
Whether you’ve been suffering from joint pain for a long time or have just begun to realize that you have arthritis pain that is not letting up, give us a call. Joint pain relief can begin once we gain an in-depth understanding of when and how your joint pain started.
During your first appointment, we will work with you to learn about your present symptoms as well as any other history of discomfort.
At Pain and Performance Solutions we specialize in bringing relief from chronic pain with therapies such as Active Release Techniques® (ART®) and Anatomy in Motion (AiM). And this relief begins once we understand where your pain originates.
A full examination will help us determine which form of treatment is best suited to get you on your road to improved health and life. And your trust in us is key, as is your honesty, because getting your body healthy and working properly is the only way to achieve total recovery.
Don’t simply ignore your arthritis pain and hope that different medications will make it “go away.” Let us help.
Contact us today at 707-636-4404 or book an appointment online to start your recovery process.