As America grows increasingly gray, the seniors who make up this part of the U.S. demographic are anxious to find alternative forms of health care to help them through their golden years. This is especially true for those with arthritis, and it turns out that chiropractic care may be the magic bullet some have been looking for.
To date, the traditional approach to alleviating arthritis aches and pains involves over-the-counter and prescription medications that can have severe adverse effects. But a recent article in the respected journal Medscape Rheumatology, titled "CAM for Arthritis: Is There a Role?"—"CAM" being short for "complementary and alternative medicine"—confirmed the steady growth in chiropractors' popularity among the nation's nearly 50 million arthritis sufferers. "There's little question in my mind that chiropractic works especially for acute musculoskeletal pain," wrote Dr. Nathan Wei, MD.
That view is certainly shared by the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress' Gerard Clum, DC, who has long agreed with Dr. Wei's assertion that chiropractors are "in many cases more knowledgeable about the musculoskeletal anatomy than most other rheumatologists" because of their education and experience with managing musculoskeletal conditions.
"The evidence-based, hands-on care provided by a doctor of chiropractic," says Dr. Clum, "helps to significantly relieve symptoms such as joint pain and swelling, and improve range of motion, endurance and muscle tone and strength. And patient satisfaction is high, as many arthritis sufferers are looking for ways to stay active and avoid prescription medication."
Experts say anyone with arthritis should consider all options. To learn more, visit www.yes2chiropractic.org.
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