Knee X-ray

New research coming out of Tufts University School of Medicine has determined that men and women that are at least 65 years of age or older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, increased their physical performance and experienced less pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for quite a few men and women suffering from OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, an astonishing 4.3 million individuals in the U.S. over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the people in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. The consequences of knee osteoarthritis are pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.

You may be asking why so many men and women develop OA. Excessive stress over a period of time is a major factor in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we age. It follows that as people get older they are more susceptible to developing OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Abnormal function of the knee, improper gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. Many chiropractors suggest such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in addition to their chiropractic treatment. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as an enhancement of balance, an augmentation of strength, and more flexibility.

Though in good health otherwise, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were picked at random to engage in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.

Tai Chi practice includes the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with prevailing exercise advice for osteoarthritis. Furthermore, researchers found that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and perceptions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a significant decrease in knee pain.

Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

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Does hip pain keep you up at night and make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep? When you get up in the morning, or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it hard, at first, to move your legs? Do you experience pain in one or both hips whenever you twist or rotate them or when you cross your legs? If you answered in the affirmative to any or all of these questions you are likely suffering from imbalances and alignment problems in the lower part of your body that, in addition to causing hip pain, can over time produce degenerative hip joint disease if not treated.

Though hip pain and related problems commonly point to age-related degenerative conditions, particularly osteoarthritis of the hip joint, osteoarthritis isn’t always the perpetrator. In fact, instead of creating the original problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint can be the eventual result of damage to your hips at a previous time.

Gait changes caused by biomechanical problems such as an ankle sprain or knee strain, can produce hip pain. Also, if you change jobs, alter the way you sit, take on a new sport or activity, or start driving for long periods of a regular basis, your gait may alter to compensate for these new changes.

In addition, gait asymmetries can occur from carrying a baby or small child on your hip, leg length discrepancies, or foot pronation challenges. In other words, anything that generates an asymmetry or imbalance when you are moving can cause painful hip problems.

Along with your adjustments, as part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem your chiropractor may suggest that you wear orthotics. Your chiropractor will also offer suitable progressive rehabilitative exercises that include muscle stretching and strengthening.

Hip pain won’t diminish on its own. Hip pain is an indication that something needs correcting. Your chiropractor can help to get you out of pain, get back into balance, and get your life back!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, hip pain, osteoarthritis