Degenerative Arthritis

Chiropractor Valencia – The term “arthritis” is a broadly used, and commonly misunderstood term. For this section we will discuss the most common form of arthritis, which is osteoarthritis (also called degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, DJD, or spondylosis in the spine). Degenerative arthritis affects almost everyone to some extent over the age of 50, and for this reason we often say, “it is just part of getting old.” Unfortunately many people accept unnecessary amounts of pain thinking they are just too old. Degenerative arthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint begins to break down causing stress to the sensitive bone tissue the cartilage lines and protects. This leads to a gradual breakdown of the joint. Boney ridges (called osteophytes or bone spurs), then develop due to the abnormal mechanics of the joint. These bone spurs can put pressure to soft tissues or delicate nerves which can affect the function of internal organs. Given enough time the cartilage will wear away completely and the joint will fuse. Causing factors of arthritis include subluxation, past trauma, occupation, activities, weight, diet, and heredity. Symptoms of DJD range from slight stiffness to severe pain.

Chiropractic and Arthritis
It is interesting to note that osteoarthritis always develops in specific joints, and not evenly through the entire body. For instance a person may have one arthritic knee, but not two, or they may have arthritis in the lower neck, but not the entire spine. If degenerative arthritis were simply part of getting older it would affect all joints in the body equally. The majority of elderly people still have many joints in their spine and body that have no arthritis at all. The reason only some joints are affected is because of increased stresses to those joints resulting from biomechanical problems. One such common problem is a spinal subluxation (abnormal position and motion in a spinal joint producing nerve irritation). With a subluxation the joint loses its full range of motion and in essence becomes fixated or “stuck”. In each cartilage-containing joint a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid exists to keep the cartilage healthy. It works much like motor oil in your car. Movement in the joint replenishes the supply of synovial fluid. A stuck joint will have a decreased production of this lubricating fluid causing the cartilage to become dry, brittle, and lead to breakdown. Chiropractic helps to reestablish normal motion and mechanics in arthritic joints allowing for increased range of motion and slowing of the degenerative process. Studies have even shown a reversal in degenerative arthritis through chiropractic care.

Benhamou CL, Row C, Tourliere A, et al. Pseudovisceral pain referred from costovertebral arthropathies. Spine. 1993;18:790-795

Nathan H, Osteophytes of the spine compressing the sympathetic trunk and splancnic nerves in the thorax. Spine. 1987; 12:527-532.

Shell RC. Chiropractic management of degenerative joint disease of the spine. Journal of the National College of Chiropractic. 1970.

Ressel OJ. Disc degeneration: reversibility is possible in spinal osteoarthritis. Int’l Review of Chiropractic. March/April 1989:39-61.

Chiropractor Valencia -   The performance of the body during athletics is more dependent on the spine than any other skeletal structure. The spine serves as a pillar for the body and also supplies the nervous control for the many muscles of the trunk, arms and legs. All athletes, from the weekend warrior to Olympians, want the best possible performance from their body, and to avoid injury. A structurally and mechanically balanced body has a greatly reduced risk of injury. Even the slightest biomechanical issue (pronated foot, misaligned spinal bone, imbalance in the muscles of the rotator cuff, etc, etc, etc) will eventually lead to reduced performance, breakdown, and injury. Athletes often wonder why they get injured, and some never do find the actual cause leading to repeat injury and chronic pain. Various sports require various demands, and some sports are more likely to cause injuries to certain parts of the body. Baseball pitchers commonly injure a shoulder and thoracic spine (especially T5-6); weightlifters have increased risk of spinal arthritis and disc degeneration; basketball players have increased risk of ankle and knee injuries; football players have increased risk of spinal injuries; the neck and low back are the primary areas of injury for golfers; and the list goes on. It is important for athletes to not only treat injuries properly, but to take a proactive approach in evaluating and preparing those areas of the body that will likely carry the most stress.

A well Trained Chiropractor gives a balanced approach to healing quickly from sports injuries; improving flexibility, rest and stamina; preventing injury; and increasing the body’s ability to perform, by integrating the latest physiotherapy techniques and manual procedures. One excellent study pertaining to performance compared 2 groups of athletes in training. Each group was measured for increases in agility, perception, power, speed of reaction and speed of movement after 6 weeks. Only one group received chiropractic care. The non-chiropractic group improved their performance by an average of 4.5% while the chiropractic group improved an average of 10.5%. Another study found that athletes that received chiropractic care had on average one more hour of sleep per night than athletes who were given sham or fake chiropractic adjustments. This is important to athletes because improved rest shortens recovery time and improves stamina. Professional athletes know the benefits of chiropractic and it is no wonder the list of endorsements steadily grows. Take it from Tiger Woods, Evander Holyfield, Emmitt Smith, Joe Montana, Lance Armstrong, Olympic gold medalist and world’s greatest athlete, Dan O’Brien, and Arnold Schwarzenegger -“I’m a strong believer in chiropractic… with chiropractic you will be 100%. It’s just fantastic.”  For further information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bowne call 661-288-2224 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Straub WF, Spino MP, Life University Study, Today’s Chiropractic, Jan/ Feb 2001.

Lauro A, Mouch B, Chiropractic effects on athletic ability. Journal of Chiropractic Research. 1991;6:84-87.

Tall RL, DeVault W. Spinal injury in sport: epidemiologic considerations. Clin Sports Med 1993;12(3):441-448.

Spencer CW, Jackson DW. Back injuries in athletes. Sports Neurology. Rockfield: Aspen Publishers 1989:159-177.

Car Accidents & Whiplash – Get Treatment or Get Worse!

Valencia Chiropractor - Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe injury caused by a rapid jerking of the neck either forward and backward or side-to-side. It is most often associated with motor vehicle accidents, but can also occur from falls, blows to the head, or sports accidents to name a few. The sudden, forceful movement with whiplash causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion. This can cause tearing in the muscles, tendons and ligaments, which support the neck and can lead to damage to the intervertebral disc, spinal nerves or even spinal cord. Symptoms include swelling and/or tenderness of the neck, difficulty swallowing, jaw problems, nausea, vomiting, flashes of light, headache, dizziness, cognitive disturbance, insomnia, pain, numbness and/or tingling into the shoulder or arm, weakness in the neck, shoulder, arm or hand, or ringing in the ears. Symptoms may be acute or chronic (longstanding). Often, symptoms of whiplash may not manifest for weeks or even years. Such an injury to the neck alters the proper biomechanics and can lead to significant dysfunction and a loss of the natural curve of the cervical spine. A full 5% of the population will experience a whiplash injury, and 43% of these people will develop chronic symptoms.

In our office we work to correct the biomechanical problem causing the symptoms related to whiplash. A symptom-only approach (i.e. pain medication) will not correct the problem. One report examined 10,382 articles on neck injury and found traditional techniques for whiplash (collars, injections, ultrasound, medication) were largely ineffective. Several studies point to the success of chiropractic for whiplash sufferers. One found 26% were completely pain free after chiropractic intervention and the other 74% were significantly improved. Another found 93% improvement. Patients who undergo chiropractic care are found to have the natural curve of their necks restored, whereas patients who do not undergo chiropractic care tend be left with a straightened or even a reversed curve in their neck.  This change in neck structure and function can lead to long term conditions like arthritis, degenerative disc disease, nerve impingement etc…  Any person with a new or old whiplash injury should be evaluated and perhaps treated to restore function and stop the progression of long term ailments. If you or a loved one has ever experienced a car accident or a whiplash injury my advice is to get checked!

Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine- Winter 1999/2000; 21(1): 22-5.

Quebec Automobile Insurance Society report on whiplash treatments

Injury 1996; 27:643-5.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1983; 6:17-23.

Lancet, Brain SPECT findings in late whiplash syndrome, June 10, 1995, vol. 345, p. 1513-14.