For sure it can – osteoarthritis in the hips or the knees or the shoulders. A lot of times, people (especially when they get older) are going in to get hips replaced; they’re getting knees replaced; they’re doing back surgeries. And when we look at it, they typically get one side done as opposed to both. So did you ever wonder why joints wear out or injure more on one side of the body than the other? The answer is that it is typically due to an alignment issue that’s been going on undiagnosed for a period of years.
So in terms of prevention, it’s like a car that is out of alignment. If you keep driving around on a car that is out of alignment, it’s going to cause the tires to wear. If you keep running and bending and twisting and being active on a body that is out of alignment, the hard frame of the body is going to cause the soft discs and joints and cartilage to actually wear down.
So one of the things we can do to prevent arthritis is actually look at what’s going on structurally within the body – how things are moving functionally. We do that through a motion study set of films and then based on that, if it’s out of alignment then we realign it. Just like if your car was out of alignment then you realign the car and then get it moving properly so that it’s not causing damage to those joints as you’re going through your daily life.
So yes, arthritis can be prevented but you’ve got to first determine what is causing the problem. Then you actually have to make the commitment and get it corrected.
Dr. Matthew Phinney has a genuine concern for the community’s health and well-being and is dedicated to helping people achieve their health and wellness objectives. Patients seeking his treatment can be assured that they are receiving the highest quality care! Dr. Matthew Phinney of The Chiropractic Doctors can be reached at (616) 432-3103 and is located at 5747 28th St. SE, Suite 101, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.