Arthritis can be a confusing topic with all the different types of arthritis. What is good for it, what could hurt it, what is not worth doing? All great questions to answer.

The name arthritis simply swelling and pain in a joint. The causes can be many and there are different types of arthritis. 

There is a type of arthritis called autoimmune arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common example. While chiropractic care can help autoimmune type arthritis that is not the focus of this article and that is a different conversation.

Let’s explore whether and how chiropractic care can help osteoarthritis. According to the CDC osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is also called Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) and is also referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. Our focus today is the DJD that occurs in the hips, pelvis, and spine. 

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) or DJD develops when the cartilage and other tissues in joints start to break down. This is a slow process that happens over many years, even decades. While trauma will accelerate this process, it is not the cause. 

When the cartilage starts to wear it causes inflammation in the joint that causes pain. The inflammation accelerates the cartilage wear and the process goes faster and faster. As you will see the same process that causes the cartilage wear causes imbalance in posture and movement that further stress the joints.

It’s inescapable that your cartilage will wear. The question that should concern you is to what degree and how fast. 

If this is largely wear and tear then the next question is why some joints or one side wears out and the others don’t. 

What Causes Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis or DJD is caused by additional and uneven stress to the joints repeatedly over time. If an imbalance throws your walking gait off even a little bit, that additional stress is experienced every single step, many thousands of steps a day. 

I’ve used the car tire analogy many times. Take 2 identical vehicles and put 4 brand new tires on each one. Balance the wheels and align the front end on one vehicle but leave the other alone.

Which set of tires is going to last longer? 

Obviously, the one that was aligned and balanced. In fact you might be lucky to get 50% of the expected mileage from the other vehicle’s tires. Imbalance adds stress which causes accelerated wear. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s your car or your body. Except, it’s easier to replace tires than joints!

What Does Chiropractic Do?

Let’s keep this simple and on point for what we are discussing here, and that’s arthritis. Chiropractic helps the body return to a state of balance. It does that in a number of ways. It helps restore neurological balance by removing sources of nerve irritation. And, it helps return the body to a state of structural balance. 

Both neurological balance and structural balance are related and appropriate for arthritis. With more neurological balance there is less pain. Structural balance takes stress off of the joints. 

Here are the most pertinent areas when it comes to arthritis of the lower spine, pelvis and hips though the entire spine is critical and I never ignore the upper neck. 

• Hip Joints: the hips must be able to move freely. If the hips get restricted it impacts every single step you take. If your gait is thrown off the hips take extra force and then pass that force up into the pelvis.
• Pelvis or Sacroiliac Joints: the pelvis supports the weight of the entire upper body and must transfer the forces coming up through the legs into the upper body. If the SI Joints are not moving freely it puts additional stress on the hip joints below and the lumbar spine above. 
• Lumbar Spine: the small joints and discs of the low back bear a lot of stress. Any restriction of these joints puts additional wear on the joints as well as a greater load on the joints above, below, and on the other side. 

The focus of chiropractic is to locate those areas that are misaligned or restricted in their movement and restore motion and alignment to those areas. This is the purpose of the chiropractic adjustment. 

The underlying intent is to remove nervous system tension, irritation, and interference but that cannot not be done without structural balance as well. 

Let’s take the example of arthritis in the hips, pelvis, or lower back. Once you develop significant degeneration it starts the process in motion. Degeneration impacts joint mechanics and altered mechanics in one joint put additional stress on other joints that have to “pick up the slack”.

While the chiropractic adjustment is often directed to the arthritic joint it is just as often applied to other surrounding joints that have lost some aspect of normal function. 

What Happens with Greater Balance?

As we restore someone experiencing arthritis to greater balance a number of things happen.

• Better overall joint mechanics taking stress off the arthritic joints
• Reduced inflammation due to less stress
• Improved motion 
• Less muscle tightness and spasm

There is no unwinding or correcting arthritis but what can be done is to dramatically slow the process and improve function. With improved balance and function comes greater ease of movement, less pain, and slower process of degeneration. 

There are a number of chiropractic approaches depending on the individual’s condition, age, general health, and their preference. There is always an adjusting method to match the person. 

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