Arthritis:

Alternative
Approaches to
Preventing and
Handling
Arthritic Pain
1
 More than 50
million people in the
U.S. suffer from
Arthritis. That’s
approximately 1 in 7
Americans afflicted
with this potentially
crippling disease.
Source: Lewis, R. “Arthritis: Modern Treatment for That Old Pain in the Joints.” FDA Consumer
25:18-26, July/August 1991. The Arthritis Cure 1997. 2
Nearly all
Americans over
the age of 50 show
varying degrees of
Arthritis
symptoms.
Source: Ibid. 3
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis comes from the
Greek word “arthro”
meaning joint and “itis”
meaning inflammation.

4
The warning signs of
Arthritis may be:
• Pain that occurs during or
after movement or after
extended periods of
inactivity.
• Joints may feel stiff and
difficult to move.
• Skin around joints may
appear red, swollen and
warm to the touch.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, pp. 10-13. 5
 The most common form of
Arthritis is Osteoarthritis.
It involves the
breakdown of the
cartilage and bone at the
joints, causing pain,
stiffness, crackling,
enlargement, and
possible inflammation.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, pp. 8, 10. 6
Osteoarthritis can be broken into two types:

Primary
and
Secondary.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure
1997, p. 13. 7
Primary Osteoarthritis

is the most
common form.
It is a slow,
progressive
condition that
usually strikes
after age 45.
Source: Ibid. 8
Primary Osteoarthritis mostly affects the
weight-bearing joints of the body:

• Knees
• Hips
• Lower back
• Neck
• and the Fingers
Source: Ibid 9
Primary
Osteoarthritis
develops when
excessive stress is put
on ordinary, healthy
joint tissues, or when
normal amounts of
stress are applied to
an already weakened
joint.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, p. 13-14. 10
Studies have
shown that
obesity and a
family history of
Arthritis can put
a person at
greater risk for
Primary
Osteoarthritis.
Source: “Joints Feel the Weight.” Prevention 41:10, February 1989. Felson, D.T., “Obesity and Knee
Osteoarthritis: The Framingham Study.” Annals of Internal Medicine 109:18-24, July 1, 1988.
Weiss, R. “Geneticists to Arthritics: A Gene’s the Rub.” Science News 138:148, 1990. The Arthritis Cure 11
1997.
Secondary
Osteoarthritis
usually strikes a
person before the
age of 40, and is
known to be
primarily caused by
trauma to the joint.

Source: “Joints Feel the Weight.” Prevention 41:10, February 1989. Felson, D.T., “Obesity and Knee
Osteoarthritis: The Framingham Study.” Annals of Internal Medicine 109:18-24, July 1, 1988.
Weiss, R. “Geneticists to Arthritics: A Gene’s the Rub.” Science News 138:148, 1990. The Arthritis Cure 12
1997.
This trauma can be
received from a
sudden injury, such
as a car accident, a
fall, after surgery, or
it can be caused by
many small injuries
to a joint over time.

Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, p. 207. 13

Beyond Osteoarthritis, there are rheumatic
diseases that cause different forms of
Arthritis with symptoms ranging from
inflammation in one or
more joints, to
inflammation spreading
to the muscles, tendons,
ligaments, internal
organs, and even the
skin.
Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, p. 207. 14
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an
autoimmune disease brought
on when the immune system
attacks the body’s own tissue
in the joints as if it were a
foreign material.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, p. 220. Ref. 10/22-25.
15
Rheumatoid Arthritis affects more than 2
million people in the US, and women are 3
times as likely to get it as men.
It usually sets in
between the ages of
20 and 40, but does
not discriminate
against older
people or children.
Source: Arthritis Information: Rheumatoid Arthritis, op. cit.; Understanding Arthritis. Op. cit. pp. 126-133; Fries. op. cit.,
pp. 19-26; Vierck. Op. cit., pp. 17-21. Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, p. 221.
16
However,

…one can take steps to

prevent all forms of Arthritis
and protect oneself from
further joint damage.
17
To determine STRESS
Stress and
& Arthritis
what solution Survey
ARTHRITIS

would best
help you, we
are now going
to do a survey
to look at
your
symptoms. 18
There are four
warning signs of
potential Arthritic
development. They
are pain, swelling,
restrictive range of
motion, and poor
posture leading to
excessive weight on
a joint.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, pp. 10-13. 19
We are now going to perform a
series of range of motion tests
to determine which areas of your
body might be at risk.
During the following tests, do not
go past pain, or restriction in your
movement.
20
TEST:
• Neck
Turn your neck from side to side.

21
TEST:
• Trunk
Stand up and
slide your hand
along your
thigh towards
your feet as you
lean sideways,
while looking
straight ahead.
22
TEST:
• Elbow
With your arms
at your sides,
bend your elbows
so that your
palms are facing
the ceiling.
Rotate your
hands until your
palms are facing
the floor. 23
TEST:
• Wrist
Put the backs of
your hands
together while
keeping your
arms parallel to
the floor and your
fingers pointing
down. Hold for
one minute. 24
We are now going to test for
postural distortions
that could put more weight
on the joints of one side of
your body.
You will need a partner to do
these tests. 25
TEST:
•Short Leg
Check and see if
your shoe heel wears
out more on one side.
Also, stand up and
have someone check
your hip heights. Is
one hip higher than
the other? 26
TEST:
•Shoulder
Have someone
check your
shoulder
height. Is one
higher than the
other? 27
Poor posture and
restricted motion
are an indication
of improper
structural
alignment of the
body.
28
These physical
problems often
respond best to
a physical form
of treatment.
29
Normal range
of motion is
necessary for
proper
circulation and
repair of
joints. 30
Restricted motion
can come from a
joint being out of
its normal
position, or from
local tight or
spastic muscles.
31
Chiropractors
specialize in
restoring normal
range of motion
and correcting
posture by using
their hands to
gently restore
normal position.
32
Prevention of Arthritis
would include:
…increasing range of
motion and balancing
posture with
Chiropractic
treatment, nutrition,
exercise, and the
taking of specific
vitamin and mineral
supplements.
33
Recent studies have
shown that the
supplements
Glucosamine and
Chondroitin Sulfate can
play a major role in the
treatment of Arthritis by
actually repairing and
rebuilding the protective
cartilage in the joints.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, pp. 250-251, studies 5-12, 17-22. 34
Other supplements that have been
shown to help are :
• Vitamins A, C, E, and the
mineral Selenium help to
reduce properties in the blood
known as “free-radicals” that
can damage joint tissue.
• Fish Oils high in Omega-3
fatty acids can help ease the
symptoms of Rheumatoid
Arthritis. Source: Bucci, L.R. Nutrition Applied to Injury Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. Boca Raton,
FL: CRC Press, 1994, pp. 140-149. Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997.
Horstman, J. The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies 1999, p. 172. 35
Proper eating can also have a hand in the
prevention of or relief from Arthritis pain.

Studies have
shown that
overweight people
are more likely to
develop
Osteoarthritis.
Source: “Joints Feel the Weight.” Prevention 41:10, February 1989.
Felson, D.T., “Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis: the Framingham Study.” Annals of Internal Medicine
109:18-24, July 1, 1988. Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997. 36
For those people
who are
overweight, diet
is a critical part
of a complete
program to
become
healthier. 37
Exercise helps relieve
Arthritic symptoms
as it strengthens bones,
muscles and joints,
increases flexibility,
prevents joint
deformities, improves
the immune system, and
reduces stress.
Source: Theodosakis, J., Adderly, B. The Arthritis Cure 1997, pp. 253-254, ref. 6/1-8.
Horstman, J. The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies 1999, p. 98. 38
Forms of exercise that have been shown to
prevent or improve Arthritic conditions are:

• Walking

Source: Ibid. 39
• Swimming

• Bicycling
Source: Ibid.
40
• Strength
Training

• and Stretching
Source: Ibid.

41
Chiropractic
…is the 3rd largest health care
profession in the United States.
It is used by some 50 million
Americans each year.

Source: Horstman, J. The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies, 1999, p.43. 42
Many people are unaware that a Doctor of
Chiropractic is required to complete an
education very similar to that of a Medical
Doctor. Chiropractors are trained in pre-med,
then four-years of Chiropractic College and are
licensed in all 50 states. Like the curriculum of
medical schools, a Chiropractor’s education is
devoted to scientific subjects such as anatomy,
biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, public
health diagnosis, clinical disciplines, and health
sciences. Source: Chiropractic: The Right Choice (video), Foundation for Chiropractic
Education and Research 1995. 43
Chiropractors
specialize in
handling physical
problems with a
combination of
exercise, nutrition,
proper posture, and
increasing the
normal function of
the joints. 44
In order to prevent, or reduce the pain
of Arthritis,

…it is important
to make sure
that joints can
properly
function.
45
According to a study sited by
the Arthritis Foundation,
…Chiropractic
manipulation
may reduce the
pain of
Osteoarthritis
and improve
joint function.
Source: Berkson, D.L., Osteoarthritis, Chiropractic and Nutrition, Med Hypotheses 1991, Dec;
36(4):356-67. The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide to Alternative Therapies 1999, p. 45. 46
According to a survey done in 1999, 63% of
chronic Arthritis sufferers use “complimentary
and alternative medicine.”
73% of the study
participants found
Chiropractic helpful.
Chiropractic ranked
among the highest in
terms of patient
satisfaction for pain
control. Source: Rao J.K., Mihaliak K., Kroenke K., Bradley J., Tierney W.M., Weinberger
M. “Use of Complimentary Therapies for Arthritis Among Patients of
Rheumatologists.” Ann Intern Med 1999; 131:409-416. 47
A geriatric study found that elderly
patients who received Chiropractic care
were less likely
to suffer from
Arthritis and
had greater
mobility than
those who did
not.

Source: Geriatric Care in Clinical Chiropractic, www.chiroweb.com/archives 1996;3 (2) 46:55. 48

A gift

49