Optimal joint health is vital to keeping the body moving. They allow us to function throughout the day and perform various tasks. When healthy joints become injured or damaged, the body loses mobility. Joint issues/pain primarily present in the shoulders, wrists, hands, knees, ankles, and spine. Healthy joints are necessary for the full range of motion and comfortable movement. To keep joints healthy and fully functioning, chiropractic treatment is recommended to alleviate joint pain and improve joint health.

Joint Health

• Joints are designed to provide a full range of motion for the body parts they affect.
• Joints are made to be able to endure weight and forces applied to them.
• Every joint consists of two surfaces that make contact.

Types of joints include:

• Ball-and-socket in the hip
• Hinge joints in the knees and elbows.
• Gliding joints in the spine.

The bones that make up the joint allow for movement, but the actual muscles pull the bones that generate movement.

• The muscles are attached to bones by tendons.
• Tendons are strong enough to facilitate movement and flexible to prevent damage to the muscle tissues.
• Ligaments connect the bones and help to prevent uncontrolled movement.
• The muscles, tendons, and ligaments are attached around each joint at specific positions and shaped to exact dimensions.
• Synovial fluid lines the joints and lubricates the surfaces to reduce friction.

Injury and Conditions

Most injuries to joints occur from added and abnormal stresses placed on a joint.

• A joint can become injured from a basic trauma accident. An ankle sprain, for example.
• The ankle joint is protected by ligaments on the inside and outside.
• When the ankle moves too far inward, the ligaments on the outside can tear.
• The ankle swells, leading to pain.
• In some instances, small pieces of bone and cartilage can also tear away.

Other injuries

• Overuse/Repetitive stress injuries, also known as cumulative trauma disorders, can cause joint pain symptoms.
• These injuries happen when stress is repeatedly placed on the joints.
• The stress can come from:
• Poor posture
• Awkward/unusual positioning while working.
• Little to no workstation ergonomics.

Arthritis

The most common cause of joint pain is arthritis.

• Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the joints causing swollen and stiff joints, limiting mobility.
• Osteoarthritis can also cause joint pain. This is when the joint cartilage breaks down from regular wear and tear.
• The aging body becomes stiff, swollen and decreases the range of motion.

Other conditions

• Pregnancy can place an incredible amount of pressure on the spine, knees, and hips as the body tries to balance itself with the added weight, causing joint pain.
• Obesity can also lead to joint pain from the added weight and pressure.
• Health conditions that cause inflammation can lead to joint pain, including Lyme disease and Lupus.
• The jawbone is also a joint; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction causes jaw pain, difficulty chewing and clicking, or locking.

Chiropractic can restore joint health.

Chiropractic can keep the joints in optimal health and functioning to the fullest. The objective is to activate the body’s natural ability to heal itself by improving the function of the central nervous system. Our team is dedicated to utilizing science-based chiropractic approaches to reduce pain and reverse painful conditions. It is also a natural method for relieving arthritis pain, slowing down the degenerative process, and helping to relubricate the joints. Contact us today to learn more about chiropractic and joint health.

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Body Composition

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Mediterranean Diet Can Be a Great Starting Point

There’s no perfect diet. Although human bodies are basically the same, individuals respond differently to certain diets. Diets can only go so far. The individual still has to put in the work of following the diet, exercising, developing new healthy habits, and maintaining them. The Mediterranean diet was reviewed by a panel of nationally recognized experts in:

• Nutrition
• Food psychology
• Diabetes
• Heart disease

They reviewed the diet profile to analyze certain categories. They included:

• Ease of taking on the diet.
• Weight loss effectiveness. This includes short-term and long-term.
• Nutritional completeness based on Dietary Guidelines.
• The diet’s potential for preventing and managing diabetes.
• The diet’s potential for preventing and managing cardiovascular disease.

The findings found the Mediterranean diet to be one of the best because of the many health benefits that come from the dietary changes.

References

Clark, Kristine L. “Nutritional considerations in joint health.” Clinics in sports medicine vol. 26,1 (2007): 101-18. doi:10.1016/j.csm.2006.11.006

Hui, Alexander Y, et al. “A systems biology approach to synovial joint lubrication in health, injury, and disease.” Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Systems biology and medicine vol. 4,1 (2012): 15-37. doi:10.1002/wsbm.157

Keep Moving: Preventing Joint Injuries. American Chiropractic Association. www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Joint-Health.

What to Know About Joint Pain. Healthline. www.healthline.com/health/joint-pain#symptoms