Mike Le Chiropractic

Almost everyone will suffer from some form of arthritis at one point or another in life. Arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint and is commonly the word used to describe pain in the joints. There are many causes, and some, such as osteoarthritis, are due to the natural ageing process. Most people are likely to get some degeneration, or '... wear and tear', later in their lives. Symptoms of this form include progressive stiffness and pain without noticeable swelling, fever, or chills. Osteoarthritis is caused when the cartilage covering the bones in a joint becomes eroded and roughened. Tendons and ligaments holding the joint together get weaker and the joint itself may become deformed, painful and stiff. Joints that have been injured or subject to unusual stress, perhaps as the result of a sporting career or heavy manual job, are likely to wear faster. Others, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are less common but can affect children as well as adults. There is usually swelling and inflammation with pain and stiffness in the arms, legs, wrists or fingers of the same joints in both sides of the body. Ankylosing Spondylitis is another rare form of arthritis that mainly attacks young men. The problem begins with pain and stiffness in the lower back, thighs and buttocks, it can result in severe inflammation and eventually fusing of some joints of the spine. After taking a full case history and conducting an examination which may include X-rays, Dr. Le will make a diagnosis and propose a treatment program. While chiropractic treatment is appropriate for most forms of arthritis, for some it can only give pain relief and you may be referred to your general practitioner for further treatment. Although the degeneration of joints cannot be reversed, Dr. Le can regularly adjust them to keep them healthy and mobile, reducing pain and helping to slow further degeneration. In addition, chiropractic care can keep your spine free of the nerve irritation which may prevent your body from fighting disease and healing itself ...Read More