Lumbar Spine (Lower Back) Arthritis
Arthritis literally translates to “inflammation of the joints”. We most commonly use it as a layterm referring to the degeneration of the joints.
A joint is an area where two bones come together. The ends of the bones are covered with a smooth fibrous cartilage. In a healthy joint, that cartilage is bathed with a fluid allowing the bones to slide freely over one another through their normal movements.
In an unhealthy joint however, the cartilage becomes pitted, the bones become roughened, and the fluid becomes limited. This is what we generally refer to when we mention “arthritis.”
It happens from cumulative stress. If you are a professional skier for example, you may have arthritis in your thirties. But for most of us it begins in our forties or fifties. The more stress we acquire, the more rapidly and widespread the degeneration.
Most medical professionals will tell you that nothing can be done for arthritis. This however is not entirely true, and does not tell the whole story.
It’s true that you can’t reverse much of the bone destruction, but you can make the joint function better with less pain. By addressing the soft-tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc), as well as the joint motion, proper rehabilitation can decrease pain, increase joint stability, and range of motion.
It is the function and pain level that we're most concerned about anyway, not the way our x-rays look!
At Discover Chiropractic, we have a program that can make you more flexible and stronger by working not only with the joint, but also with the surrounding soft-tissues. The joint complex will therefore function better allowing you to function better.
So your x-rays may not look a whole lot different, but you sure can feel and act different!
Don't keep putting it off. If you have arthritis, we can help – just let us. Every day you wait, allows the condition to continue to worsen.
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with arthritis, call our office today to see how our techniques can benefit you.
(952) 224-9501
