Holistic arthritis pain management

Walking, standing, kneeling, holding small objects, opening containers – these are things most people do without giving them a thought. However, if you suffer from arthritis, the symptoms can make everyday tasks and activities terribly painful or virtually impossible. More than 70 million Americans seek pain management for arthritis, to help alleviate these symptoms.

Arthritis is not a “disease,” it’s the result of multiple issues caused by improper nutrition, toxicity and/or dysfunction within your body’s systems. It’s a chronic condition, but you can get lasting pain relief, especially when treatment focuses on correcting systemic imbalances.

There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but they all have the similar symptoms:

·         Stiff joints

·         Limited joint function

·         Pain

·         Swelling

·         Redness

·         A feeling of warmth

The cause of your symptoms depends on your type of arthritis and your genetics, not necessarily your age. Fortunately, a holistic approach to treatment offers several effective avenues to improve flexibility and comfort so you can enjoy life more. A holistic approach enables the doctor to assemble a complete picture of your body and how each organ system is contributing to your arthritis pain.

Holistic Treatments for Arthritis

Chinese practitioners have known for thousands of years that acupuncture is a valuable pain management technique for arthritis. It increases blood flow and activates stored neuropeptides, which reduces the feeling of pain and helps heal underlying damage. From an Eastern medicine viewpoint, acupuncture harmonizes the body, restoring the flow of energy to prevent or alleviate pain and other health problems. From a Western medicine viewpoint, acupuncture works through the immune, endocrine, vascular and nervous systems.

At Southwest Integrative Medicine, our doctors are extensively trained and experienced in using acupuncture as well as a variety of other treatments to help control arthritis pain. These methods include options such as trigger point injections, IV nutritional therapy, neutragenomics, and physical therapy. If necessary, treatment can include medications. Conventional medications can block pain but often do nothing to address the underlying causes, So these are typically not used.

What you eat affects how you feel, and many vital nutrients affect joint function. Every person’s body processes nutrients a bit differently, so while eating a healthy diet is always a good idea, exactly what constitutes the right amounts of nutrients for your body can differ. That means diet alone isn’t enough to manage arthritis pain. Often adding a simple multi-vitamin isn’t the solution, either, again because it may not address the specific genetic deficiencies your body has.

With help from one of our naturopathic doctors nutritional supplements can help reverse your nutrient deficiencies, but it’s important to note that supplements should never be considered a replacement for eating healthy foods.

Exercise can also help alleviate arthritis pain. This may seem counter-intuitive, especially when movement is very painful, but regular exercise increases flexibility and improves muscle and joint health. It also helps you maintain an optimum weight, so you aren’t putting undue pressure on joints. knowing which exercises to do and when you should and should not exercise is important in your overall treatment.

Taking a holistic approach to arthritis pain management ensures you receive specific treatment options most appropriate for your body, helping you alleviate pain most effectively. 

Give us a call or send us an email to learn more about pain managemnt arthritis and acupcunture for arthtritis.