

Osteoarthritis is a condition where inflammation results in pain in the joints. The joints are connected by ligaments and when they are out of alignment, it will cause abnormal wear and tear on the joints. Some people will think it is just because they are getting older. Which is partially true, but you x-ray should should show equal arthritis in all of your joints which is not the case the vast majority of the time. Most of the time, there is a past trauma, which could be from long term bad posture or an old accident which will lead to this misalignment. After many years, this will wear out that misaligned joint though. This is much like how a tire out of alignment will wear out. First you hit a bump, then your tire goes 'out of alignment' then you drive on it for miles. Some people will get the tire checked for a misalignment right away and not develop worn out tires. However, some people will drive for years until one tire is completely worn out while ignoring all the signs and symptoms and wonder why it happen.
Unfortunately, we only have one set of spare parts, so we have to take care of them. So we cannot reverse the effects of this, but we can slow it down or stop it. We can restore some mobility to the joints, work with muscles and give special nutrients while providing acupuncture to help the body heal. It is better to try this conservative treatment for a few weeks first, before one gets surgery. We refer out for surgery many times, but we always try a conservative treatment first.