Osteoarthritis and Joint Dysfunction

 Osteoarthritis is the most frequent form of arthritis that people suffer from. More than 32 million people in the United States are affected. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. It can make doing ordinary tasks more difficult. Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV provides therapy and treatment that can help reduce pain and stiffness in the affected joints. 

What is osteoarthritis?

This type of arthritis is a degenerative joint disease. With this condition, the cartilage breaks down within the joints, and this causes the bones to also change. Cartilage acts as a shock absorber between the bones in your joints and when it deteriorates, it is bone on bone. This is usually a slow condition that happens over time. It can become a debilitating condition in some people, and for others, it is just a painful inconvenience.  

Causes of osteoarthritis

While osteoarthritis is usually considered a disease of aging, it can happen at any age. It is also more common in women than men. It can result from an injury to the joint, or it may be the result of a genetic defect in the cartilage. 

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

The symptoms of osteoarthritis usually begin in one joint or just a few. The most common symptoms are:

• Pain in the joint when used
• Pain goes away when the joint is resting
• Pain worsens at night
• The joint is stiff in the morning or after it has been rested
• Swelling in or around the joint
• Joint movement becomes limited
• Joint feels unstable

Treatments for osteoarthritis

Your chiropractor has treatments that can help with osteoarthritis and joint dysfunction. 

Chiropractic adjustment

Chiropractic adjustment can help with misalignment in the spine, but it can also be used for misalignment in any of your joints. Getting things back into alignment can help with mobility and function as well as pain. 

Ultrasound therapy

Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to help with inflammation and pain. It vibrates the tissues and promotes healing in the tissues and joints. It can be especially effective on the knees and hips.  

Chiropractic massage

With a relaxation massage, the muscles relax and when they do, it allows the joints they support to have a better range of motion and less pain. Studies have backed this up. 

Therapeutic exercise

Therapeutic exercise is targeted at specific areas and can help to improve your range of motion and mobility and activity is good for arthritis. 

Contact us

For information or help with osteoarthritis, call Dr. McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, serving Nitro, Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, and Teays Valley at (304) 776-1520. 

How do Heat and Ice Therapy Work?

 Chiropractic care offers an option when you prefer a holistic approach to healthcare. When it comes to sore muscles and strains and sprains, hot and cold therapy is a way to provide treatment without having to resort to medication. Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV provides chiropractic treatments including cryotherapy to residents in Nitro, Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, and Teays Valley, WV. 

What is cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures, at or near freezing, to treat injuries, inflammation, and pain. When you use an ice pack on your sprained ankle, you are using cryotherapy at its most basic level. It can be used as a whole-body treatment, or it can be applied to a particular part of the body. 

It is often used to help accelerate the healing of injuries in athletes. Using ice packs for muscle pains has been mainstream for years. When the ice pack is removed, the circulation is increased in the area and this helps not just raise the temperature, but to promote healing and pain relief. When cold is applied, it encourages the production of endorphins, which are nature's pain relievers.

A 2000 study showed that cryotherapy provided temporary relief for the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.  

Heat therapy

Heat therapy increases blood flow to the area that is injured or in pain. It is often used with stiff and sore muscles. Heat treatment is usually more effective when it comes to chronic pain and arthritis. But some chiropractic therapies also use heat to treat soft tissues and promote healing. Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to vibrate and health the tissues below the skin and help promote healing at a cellular level. 

Heat is also psychologically comforting and when you are sore, you want to be comforted. That is where a heating pad or warm packs can help. A hot stone massage uses heat therapy to help relax and provide a feeling of contentment. 

Cold and heat therapy are often used one after the other to treat injuries in the soft tissues. Cold brings down the swelling and slows the blood flow and heat increases blood flow and provides relaxation and comfort.

Contact us

Don't wait, call our office today. Dr. McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV will help you with your pain. The option of cryotherapy will be discussed and if hot and cold therapy makes sense, it can be used. Reach out to us at (304) 776-1520. 

Muscles of the Back

 

Your back's muscles are some of the most important in your body because they serve many important roles. Thankfully, Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center, staffed by Dr. Jay McClanahan, can help Nitro, WV, residents understand their back muscles and the problems that affect them. With our help, you can prevent long-term back pain and minimize your suffering for years to come.

Common Types of Muscles in the Back

Your back has 40 muscles in 20 different pairs, each of which helps your body differently. Listing them all here would take up too much space, so let's focus on some of the most commonly used types and what they do for you. These groups include:

• Muscles that move the head, including sternocleidomastoid, semispinalis capitis, splenius capitis, and longissimus capitis
• Muscles that move the upper arms, including latissimus dorsi, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major, and teres minor
• Muscles that move the upper thighs, including iliopsoas and psoas minor muscles

These essential support muscles keep your body strong and improve your movement. Unfortunately, they're also the most commonly damaged muscles because they are frequently used. Thankfully, Dr. McClanahan can help Nitro, WV, residents manage these back muscles and minimize long-term pain.

Back Pain Prevention and Treatment

Severe back pain may occur when you overwork or damage muscles in your back. For example, it's not uncommon for athletes to experience extensive back pain when starting a new activity. Other people may develop back pain due to inactivity or lack of exercise.

Managing back pain requires working with a skilled professional who understands each muscle group in your body. While injuries are more common in the areas highlighted, they can occur anywhere. Thankfully, our team of professionals can help you by providing various treatments. These therapeutic methods include:

• Back strengthening exercises that minimize strain 
• Physiotherapy to improve flexibility and strength 
• Long-term support, including guided recovery methods 
• Hands-on massage or chiropractic care to reduce back pain

Preventative techniques can help minimize your risk of injury. For instance, working the muscles highlighted in the previous section can help keep them strong and reduce your injury risk. You can also visit us regularly for maintenance checkups to check for muscle weakness and improve your overall strength.

Help is Here for Your Back Issues

Back pain can make life very difficult and may require the help of our professionals at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Dr. McClanahan can treat back muscles in Nitro, WV, to help you recover from severe injuries and other concerns. Call us at 304-776-1520 to learn more about your care options and ensure you get the high-quality support needed for your recovery.

Chiropractic Care for Auto Injuries

 

After an auto accident, you may not feel great. You may have a headache or dizziness, a sore neck and back, and an achy shoulder. Talk to your insurance company about your auto injuries, then give Dr. Jay McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV a call for an appointment to get evaluated. 

Adjustment and Manipulation

Adjustments are usually done to the spine but can be done to other joints in the body if that is where the misalignment is. After an auto accident, your neck may need an adjustment and also your shoulders. It is not uncommon for the upper back to also be injured when the head snaps back and forth. When the vertebrae in the spine are out of alignment, messages can't get through, and this causes dysfunction all over the body. Adjustments can help the entire body feel and operate better.  

Chiropractic massage

When you have auto injuries, you may be sore all over. What could feel better than getting a massage? A relaxation massage can help you to relax after the stress of an accident. A deep tissue massage can get the knots out caused by stress and pain. Massage goes hand in hand with other chiropractic treatments, including adjustments. When you are relaxed, all the other therapies work more efficiently. 

Therapeutic exercise

Your chiropractor will design an exercise program for your specific injuries. It will allow you to continue to improve your condition between visits. Stretching is usually included as well as resistance exercises. 

Electric muscle stimulation

Tense muscles need to be relaxed, and electric muscle stimulation uses electric currents to tire muscles out so that they relax. It also stimulates the production of endorphins which help reduce pain. 

Ultrasound

Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to help with pain and inflation in the tissues deep beneath the skin. The waves heat and vibrate, which accelerates healing. 

Spinal decompression

Spinal decompression is a treatment that helps with a herniated or bulging disc. It allows it to go back into its correct location without having to resort to surgery. A very precise computer program is used to stretch the spine and then relax it. It moves the vertebrae so that the disc can move back into the correct space. 

Contact us today

For auto injuries, Dr. McClanahan of Dr. J Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Nitro, WV offers a variety of treatments and therapies that can get you back to your pain-free life. We also serve Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, and Teays Valley. Give our office a call at (304) 776-1520.