Arthritis Chiropractor

Chiropractic Care Center specializes in chiropractic treatment for patients suffering from arthritis and joint pain. Dr. Will Likins is a highly trained and licensed arthritis chiropractor in Lynchburg and Forest, VA. If you have any of the symptoms of arthritis mentioned below, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. We can help you find relief through proven chiropractic techniques.

Arthritis Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms associated with arthritis include:

• Deep, aching pain

• Trouble moving around

• Morning stiffness

• Pain when walking

• Stiffness after resting

• Swelling

• Redness

• Decreased range of motion

Common Types of Arthritis We Treat

• Osteoarthritis (OA)

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

• Fibromyalgia

• Childhood arthritis

Our Chiropractor Discusses Arthritis & The Best Way to Treat It

What causes arthritis?

If I were to ask you what causes arthritis, what would you say? It's an interesting question, and one my patients answer for me all the time. Most tell me that they have done a lot of manual labor over the years, or their parents had terrible arthritis and they feel it's genetic. The most common statement my patients make is, "My doctor said I have arthritis because of my age, and there is nothing I can do about it." If there is one thing I want you to know, arthritis is not just due to your age and something you have to live with. There are some practical things you can do not only for the pain but also to keep arthritis from continuing to progress.

Before we get to what alleviates arthritis pain, we have to first address what causes the problem. First, there are different types of arthritis. Some are autoimmune-related, such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. These are caused by your immune system mistakingly attacking certain areas of your body, including your joints. This often requires immunosuppressant drugs to diminish the body's immune response. However, the most common arthritis is osteoarthritis. In the spine, this will also be called degenerative joint disease or degenerative disc disease.

The most common type of arthritis: osteoarthritis

The most effective way to explain osteoarthritis is that it happens secondary to improper alignment and range of motion in a joint. The longer this misalignment is allowed to occur in a joint, the more the degeneration progresses. Let's say you go out to your car and notice your front tires are completely worn on one side. Would you say, "Wow, this car must be getting old; the tires are wearing unevenly?" Of course not. A quality mechanic would tell you there is a misalignment, causing the tires to wear incorrectly. If the wear is mild, the misalignment has been there a short amount of time. If the tires are ruined, it's safe to assume it has been there longer. 

This is similar to how osteoarthritis progresses. In your spine, you can get a misalignment and restricted range of motion between two joints. Over time, as there is greater stress on the joint, the first thing that happens is the cushion or disc space between the vertebrae begins to degenerate. This is called degenerative disc disease. Next, in response to the stress, your body distributes calcium to the joint to strengthen it. As this calcium deposit grows, it begins to form an osteophyte or bone spur, known as degenerative joint disease. This is why if we look at an x-ray of your spine, we will often see arthritis between two vertebrae, causing significant pain. However, the vertebrae above and below may be perfectly fine. All the vertebrae in that x-ray are the same age, but some have been under more stress than others, causing arthritis.

How to treat arthritis

So what do we do? We don't just leave the problem there and take arthritic medications or over-the-counter NSAIDS, as this only masks the symptoms and can stress the liver. Proper pain management of osteoarthritis requires addressing what caused it in the first place and stopping it from progressing. Whatever joint in your body is experiencing arthritis, the answer is to restore proper alignment and range of motion and be as specific as possible in the treatment plan (this includes autoimmune arthritis).

After 20 years working as a doctor of chiropractic, I specialize in identifying and correcting areas of misalignment and restricted range of motion in your spine. Often the condition has been there for years, and there is pain and arthritis present. The great news is these patients get well and experience relief. As we work together to restore proper function and diminish stress on the affected joints, the pain and arthritis you experience subside while your life quality improves. If you have been diagnosed with or have a suspicion of arthritis, I would love to help you restore your health naturally!

- Dr. Will Likins, Chiropractor in Lynchburg

Arthritis Chiropractic in Lynchburg, VA