Arthritis is one condition that carries a hefty stigma alongside. It has been used to describe chronic irritation, inflammation and degeneration of a joint. However, arthritis is broken up into two groups: inflammatory and degenerative.
Degenerative arthritis, as the name implies, is a wearing down of the cartilage used to protect the joint. While this does not produce any significant swelling, pain will occur through the friction that occurs when the cartilage has worn away and liberation to the joint is lost. The degenerative changes will cause stiffness in the joint, which is worsened upon waking in the morning due to lack of movement to the area overnight. In the knee, the most common location to have arthritis is the medial compartment. This is the area on the inside of the knee where the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) meet.
The goal of treating degenerative arthritis is quite simply to MOVE THE JOINT through a series of treatments and exercise to increase flexibility, joint mobility, and improve the function of the surrounding musculature without further irritation. Specifically, we target the muscles of the hip (the gluteus maximus and medius specifically), in order to take pressure off the medial compartment of the knee.
The team at Waverley Central Chiropractic Clinic will be able to properly diagnose your condition by doing a thorough exam. We will then provide treatment to help you get back to living your life the way you want!
