According to the Arthritis Foundation, one in five adults live with some form of diagnosed arthritis (osteo or auto-immune), and approximately 60 percent of those people are under the age of 60.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the country, leading to $128 billion in medical expenses each year.
Dr. Daniel Strelcheck, Jr. knows a great deal about arthritis. He owns Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic, 10 N. Virginia St. /Rt. 14., Crystal Lake, which his father, Dr., Daniel Strelcheck, Sr., founded in 1958. Strelcheck Sr., spent five decades treating patients who suffered from headaches, back pain, and other health ailments. In 2013, the elder Dr. Strelcheck was selected as medical honoree for the Arthritis Foundation’s Fox Valley Arthritis Walk.
“I have seen some of the most arthritic senior patients in our society who’ve been able to rehabilitate themselves, so that they continue to live with the freedoms that they enjoy,” says Strelcheck Jr.
“By far, osteoarthritis is the largest category that affects the majority of people because of the wear and tear on the joints. Everyone will get osteoarthritis in their joints at some point but you will get it faster if your joints are misaligned. Many times, we can put the joint back in place and the pain goes away or substantially decreases. The quicker you get your joints aligned, the sooner they slow down the aging process or osteoarthritis. That’s why chiropractic care from childhood is so important. People are starting to figure out that the better we take care of ourselves when we’re younger, the better our quality of life is later.
1. Align Your Joints
The most important thing is- no matter how old you are- is to keep your body in alignment. This will help slow down osteoarthritis. Chiropractors are the only licensed health care professionals that can treat a subluxation, but you can aid in your alignment and increase your range of motion by strengthening your upper and lower back muscles and getting orthotics or shoe inserts.
Correct rounded shoulders by strengthening your upper back muscles and stretching your chest. Correct an over-arched lower back by strengthening your abdominal muscles and stretching your lower back muscles. For lower body alignment problems, possible solutions include orthotics or shoe inserts, and exercise to strengthen your lower body muscles. When you get the joints aligned, it moves and works better and that increases range of motion.
2. Get Plenty of Exercise
The old adage move it or lose it is important to an osteo- arthritis patient. Mobility exercises help increase the range of motion so that the joints oil themselves with synovial fluid. Dr. Strelcheck recommends exercise within the range of motion of the joints such as swimming, walking, yoga and stretching. “They all give you good range of motion,” he says. “Always check with your physician for some do’s and don’t before starting an exercise program of your choice,” he states.
3. Increase Area Bloodflow
It’s important to increase blood flow to the arthritic area to wash away any of the arthritic elements. When you get it oiled it’s easier to get blood flowing to clean out the joints and bring new nutrients into the joints. “Specific massage works the area,” he says. “Paraffin bath or wax bath will work too.”
4. Consider helpful anti-inflammatory methods.
When you have arthritis, you want to calm down the inflammation. The itis in osteoarthritis means inflammation. When a joint is inflamed, it needs to calm down. Dr. Strelcheck suggests using ice 20 minutes on in one hour intervals or in more severe cases anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or sterioid/cortisone shot may be used. “Arthritic patients should use heat in the morning, and have that blood flow increase to wake up the joints so they can live their daily life,” says Dr. Strelcheck. “All day long they aggravate the arthritis because they’re moving. Everything is designed to make your life more livable so you don’t have to deal with the pain and discomfort that comes with age.”
5. Choose a chiropractor wisely
Find a chiropractor that takes x-rays, which can should how severe your osteoarthritis really is. Not all chiropractors take x-rays. “It’s very important when searching for a doctor, that he or she takes x-rays, along with a full physical exam,” Dr. Strelcheck says. “The doctor should be able to create a treatment plan that will be beneficial to the patient long term. The degree of arthritis is quite identifiable on an x-ray.” Look for a chiropractor, he adds, whose facility includes a multi-disciplinary clinic with massage and physical therapy departments.
Living with arthritis is never easy, but there are ways to make life more enjoyable thanks to a few practical tips.
Healing Sports Injuries with Chiropractic Care
Healing Sports Injuries With Chiropractic Care Back to school season means many children and teens also will be returning to organized sports. Whether their activity is soccer, football, cross country, lacrosse, or cheerleading, the regular exercise and competition helps to build both mentally and physically strong youth. Active children are not invincible, though. In fact, Yale Medicine reports that more than 2.6 million children up to the age of 19 visit the emergency room each year with a sports- or recreation-related injury. Forty percent of all sports-related injuries happen to children between the ages of 5 and 14. A family chiropractor like Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic is uniquely qualified to treat many sports injuries. Relying on a combination of education and spinal manipulation, chiropractors may help young athletes get back to running, kicking, diving, and jumping more quickly—and naturally—than traditional medicine. The art of chiropractic might even prevent injury altogether. Commons Sports Injuries Athletes work their bodies harder than the average person. Furthermore, children and teens who practice only one sport might work certain body parts harder than others, taxing those muscle groups. The following common injuries often are the result of this overexertion as well as collisions, falls, or other unexpected events: Sprains, often involving wrists and ankles Strains, often involving back or hamstring Fractures Knee injuries such as tendonitis or runner’s knee Achilles tendon damage Shin splints Dislocations Pinched nerves in neck or back Concussion Chiropractic medicine may lead to a quicker recovery from each of these injuries, with the exception of concussions. Although a chiropractor cannot repair a concussion, their care after a concussion may reduce headaches, neck pain, and other symptoms related to the injury. Chiropractic Methods For Treating Sports Injuries Athletes are tough. So tough, that many tend to ignore their injuries and battle through the pain. They do not want to let down their coaches, teammates, and parents, so they opt to compete. Unfortunately, pushing aside the injury might lead to more damage. That is why it is important to visit a medical professional, such as a chiropractor, sooner rather than later. Chiropractic medicine hones in on spinal health as the means for relieving symptoms and fully repairing damage throughout the body. As experts of the human musculoskeletal system, chiropractors have knowledge of the skeleton, muscles, nerves, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints—and how they all connect back to the spine. After determining a patient’s symptoms, such as pain, tingling, tension, or discomfort, a chiropractor performs spinal manipulative therapy to achieve the following results: Improved range of motion Improved flexibility Improved blood flow Reduced inflammation Release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever Through chiropractic, an athlete’s body may be restored to full health. Additionally, the athlete may be protected from future injury. Spinal Health and Sports Injury Prevention Keeping the spine strong and aligned with regular visits to the chiropractor is one preventative measure athletes can take to avoid injury. A chiropractor’s office can help in other ways, too: Recommend strength exercises and stretches that target specific parts of the body Posture correction techniques Nutrition counseling, including vitamin recommendations Physical therapy Young athletes also should be sure to warm up their muscles before competition and practices. In fact, Yale Medicine states that 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries happen during practice, not during a game or competition. Chiropractors and other health professionals also might suggest that athletes practice more than a single sport throughout the year, so as not to experience overuse that leads to injury. Understand the rules of the sport. Wear proper gear. And finally, make every effort to drink plenty of water and get a full night’s sleep every day. Stay In Play. Avoid the Sideline. Of course, not all sports injuries are preventable. High-contact activities mean collisions and falls. Blows and twists. Dance, cheerleading, gymnastics, and other activities requiring repetitive motions also can be damaging over time. It’s all part of the experience. Before turning to surgery or prescription drugs to address a sports injury, please call Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic at 815-459-3860. Discover what we can do, including physical therapy! Our goal is to help young athletes to recover quickly and avoid future injuries that might sideline them for days, weeks, or months at a time.