Arthritis and Osteoarthritis can cripple young and old alike. Systemic arthritis attacks the membrane that covers the cartilage of the joints, resulting in loss of protective synovial fluid. Appears in patients whose immune system has gone awry. Osteoarthritis is the most common form and is caused by wear and tear on the cartilage, which thins and cracks.

Your chiropractor can help by minimizing stress on joints that are prone to wear and tear (like the hips, knees and spinal column) and helping to keep your immune system in tip top shape. Regular, low impact exercise along with plenty of fluids can help prolong the life of your joints, and your body in general.

Signals to watch for: (3 or more, see the chiropractor)

• Been in a car accident or suffered a serious sports injury or fall in the past ten years?
• Stiffness or friction in your joints.
• Do you have limited range of movement in your arm, leg, neck, or back?
• Ever experienced swelling or redness in your shoulder, knee, elbow, wrist, fingers, or ankle?
• Painful to bend your leg, arm, or fingers, or to move your shoulder, wrist, ankle, or pelvis.
• Take pain-killers like aspirin to relieve pain in your joints.
• Do you have morning back pain that disappears when you get up?
• Ever reduced your activity level due to a physical disability?
• Do you find it hard to move your head without moving your torso?
• Difficulty bending to pick up a small object from the ground.