Osteoarthritis Treatment

There are several osteoarthritis treatment options that can alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Some medical professionals suggest a neck collar, lumbar corset or firm mattress. Often they will suggest a mild pain reliever, like aspirin or acetaminophen. Among medical doctors, acetaminophen is generally preferred for osteoarthritis. Allied Healthcare Clinics would like to be sure that readers understand that even non-prescription pain relievers can be easy to overdose. We rely on treatments like IDD Therapy® that require no medication to relieve the pressure of bone-on-bone facet joints by helping the body to naturally regain stability in the spine and good disc height. This enables the bone spurs that may be present in an osteoarthritic patient to relieve the pressure they may be placing on nerve endings or the spinal column.

Pain-relieving creams may also be helpful. Allied Healthcare Clinics uses and offers Bio-Freeze for sale in our office. Heat and cold therapy, may also provide temporary relief, also something provided at Allied Healthcare Clinics. Please do not apply heat or cold without a doctor's or physical therapist's recommendation, as this can exacerbate inflammation, if used inappropriately. Other practices may also recommend glucosamine and chondroitin.

Many physicians recommend rest for an osteoarthritic patient. The Catch 22 is that they may also say that physical therapy is one of the best treatments for osteoarthritis. That's why IDD Therapy® can be so helpful. It requires no downtime, and targets the exact areas where the osteoarthritis and any related conditions (herniated, torn or bulging discs, spinal stenosis) are. For patients who may feel like their condition leaves them a bit fragile, IDD Therapy® will help them feel very secure. Allied Healthcare Clinics recently treated a woman in her 90's with IDD Therapy® . For Juanita Ridenhour's full story read No Risk with Back Surgery Alternative for 92 Year Old.

Chiropractic adjustments also can assist in maintaining joint mobility and spinal stability. Dr. John Thomas, D.C. offers full body adjustments at Allied Healthcare Clinics, as well as other potentially helpful treatments like traction, depending on each individual case. Dr. Thomas offers free consultations prior to treating any patient's condition, and will thoroughly evaluate each person's case, with both X-rays, and possibly, an MRI.

Depending on whether radiculopathy is present, Dr. Thomas may also order an NCV/EMG test to identify the cause of the pain, numbness or tingling in the extremities. Based on the MRI and other tests, Dr. Thomas may then recommend conservative treatment with chiropractic adjustments or IDD Therapy®.

Therapeutic massage can help reduce the pain of osteoarthritis and improve circulation. It may also reduce stress and muscle tension, which aids in healing. Allied Healthcare Clinics keep a licensed massage therapist on full-time staff. Call 770-460-1911 for your massage appointment. Massage and other breathing and stress management techniques can help produce relaxation. For an osteoarthritic patient, reducing muscle tension equals reduced pain. Some of these techniques may include, prayer, controlled breathing, meditation, and biofeedback.

TENS units (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) use small amounts of electricity to reduce sensitivity of nerves around the spine. It has few side effects and is non-invasive, but won't necessarily provide relief for everyone. Digital and analog TENS units are available for sale to patients of Allied Healthcare Clinics. Dr. Thomas recommends this method over potentially harmful prescription and over-the-counter medication.

Osteoarthritis rarely requires surgery, except where it leads to degenerative spondylolisthesis (instability of the joint) or spinal stenosis (spinal cord narrowing or nerve root pinching.) These conditions often present together, as one creates the other. Then, the only surgery that is considered effective is spinal fusion, also called arthrodesis, to stop the movement of the painful joint. However, spine fusion surgery is generally not recommended for spinal osteoarthritis, since osteoarthritis is not usually localized to one joint, but present at multiple vertebral levels in the spine. Multi-level fusions are not advisable. In cases of spondylolisthesis, fusion can be considered for that particular joint. In all cases, surgery has health consequences and requires substantial recovery time.

Laminectomy, or surgical decompression of the nerve roots, is also something that other clinics may offer. This is only considered for severe cases, where loss of function presents. This surgery goes into the spinal column and shaves off bone spurs pressing in on the spinal cord. Because of the amount of bone that may be removed from the spine, and the instability this causes, it may require a spinal fusion. These two surgeries, mentioned here-in are a last resort.

Before going in for surgery, patients should consider IDD Therapy® as a clinically proven solution to back and neck pain. Most cases of osteoarthritis present with bulging and herniated discs, spinal stenosis and other conditions. IDD Therapy® was designed by a team of orthopedists, physiatrists, physical therapists and chiropractors to treat all of these conditions. Serious conditions, like osteoarthritis require serious consideration of all the the available treatment options. IDD Therapy® is accessible to patients for whom surgery is not an option. And it's a better option than surgery for patients who feel they have no other alternative. This process uses a computer calibrated to a patients physical status, along with a table that the patient is secured on. In twenty treatments over the course of a month, each disc level where there may be nerve root compression from osteophytes, is decompressed to the point where it has enough height and motion to relieve the pressure on the spinal column and nerves. An osteoarthritic back may have multiple levels of involvement, and each one would be targeted accordingly. Click for more information about IDD Therapy®, or to schedule your free consultation call 770-460-1911.

Osteoarthritis Topics

• What is Osteoarthritis?
• Osteoarthritis Symptoms
• Causes of Osteoarthritis
• Exercises for Osteoarthritis

For clinically proven, non-surgical osteoarthritis relief call today for a FREE consultation on IDD Therapy® with Allied Healthcare, 770-460-1911 or contact us.