The nagging pain caused by arthritis can make it difficult to accomplish basic daily tasks and turn periods of extreme temperature or weather changes into an agonizing experience.
At Indus Healthcare, with offices located in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California, Dr. Amit Paliwal delivers chronic care management for conditions like arthritis, including integrative and alternative therapies to help manage chronic pain.
The most common arthritis types
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of arthritis. Both are chronic, degenerative conditions with no cure. Fortunately, modern medicine, bolstered by integrative and alternative therapies, can help you manage your condition and lead a more comfortable, active life.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the simple effect of lifelong wear-and-tear on your joints. Most people end up with some form of degenerative joint disease as they get older, and an accident or injury can exacerbate your issues. If you have OA, you’re likely to experience chronic pain that gets worse both when you stay immobile and when you overdo on activity.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. This disease attacks the synovial membrane lining your joints, slowly breaking down the joint cartilage and allowing deformities to form. This causes stiffness, inflammation, and chronic pain.
Treating arthritis with alternative therapies
It’s critical to get proper care for your arthritis pain to avoid experiencing high levels of depression and anxiety. At Indus Healthcare, our team is dedicated to helping arthritis patients using every treatment at our disposal. We’ve found the following alternative therapies to be advantageous in treating chronic pain caused by arthritis:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is thought to curb pain by boosting the amount of endorphins (natural painkillers) that your body makes. We can use acupuncture on whatever part of your body is experiencing arthritis pain to support pain relief and make you more comfortable and relaxed.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback can give you the skills you need to manage your body’s responses to pain. Over time, you’ll be able to automatically identify when arthritis pain is causing your heart to race or your blood pressure to go up, and use specific techniques to relax your body and reduce your perception of the pain.
Massage
Massage can greatly reduce pain caused by arthritis — up to 57%, according to one study of patients with hand or wrist arthritis who were given weekly massages by a trained therapist and also taught how to self-massage painful joints at home.
Struggling with chronic arthritis pain? Alternative medicine could be a great way to complement your pain management plan. Schedule a consultation today by calling the location closest to you, or visit our contact page for more information.