Arthritic Pain

As you get older, certain changes occur in the body such as joint stiffness, loss of muscle and some loss of energy. Physical stresses build up over time as well as an inability to recover as quickly from falls or other accidents, and this can lead to excessive wear on the joints of your body.

The spine, hips and knees are particularly susceptible to such strains and may show signs of degeneration and give pain and stiffness in the surrounding tissues. This is known as spondylosis, if there is mild degeneration in the spine, or osteo-arthritis if the wear has lead to inflammatory changes in the joints.

The body tries to protect these joints by contracting the muscle around them, which leads not only to painful muscular spasms sometimes radiating into the leg or into the head giving a severe headache, but increases the compression in the joint causing it to wear more quickly. This is often treated by painkilling drugs and people are told that as the joint is worn, nothing can be done.

Although it is true that once the joint is worn it cannot be reversed, the pain often arises from a response from the surrounding tissues and not from the joint itself. Osteopathic treatment is aimed at releasing the strains and stresses that have accumulated in the body over many years. It also acts to improve the blood flow to all parts of the body and can promote muscle relaxation. This not only reduces the pain and stiffness but also decreases compression strains acting on the joint, potentially considerably slowing any further degeneration. There is good research evidence to support the use of Osteopathic treatment for treatment of hip and knee arthritic pain.* The NICE national clinical guidelines for care and management of adults with osteoarthritis recommends manipulation and stretching should be considered as an adjunct to core treatment.

This treatment is very gentle and along with lifestyle and exercise advice, outcomes are usually very good. Patients are seldom disappointed as they are shown that suffering pain, stiffness and poor health are NOT an inevitable part of getting older and many people in retirement could and should be able to resume an active lifestyle.

*Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010, 18:3 doi:10.1186/1746-1340-18-3 Article URL http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/18/1/3