While chiropractic care is often used to relieve back and neck pain caused by spinal health issues, it has numerous additional applications. For example, it can help individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) manage their condition. The following guide explores how it can help mitigate symptoms. 

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

A type of autoimmune disease, RA causes the immune system to attack the joints instead of helping protect them. Since inflammation is an immune response, this leads to swelling within one's joint lining, cartilage, and tissues. One of RA's distinct characteristics is that it affects both sides of the body symmetrically—for example, both hands, knees, or ankles.

Over time, RA causes the joints to become deformed, unstable, and loose. Joint mobility decreases, leading to stiffness and discomfort. The same immune response can also lead to eye and organ damage, potentially causing complications such as blood and heart disease and lung problems.

How Can Those With RA Benefit From Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care services include joint manipulation. By readjusting out of place parts of your musculoskeletal system, it can reduce pressure on areas swollen by RA and increase your range of motion. This can help reduce stiffness in a non-invasive way. 

These movements also help the nervous system—which controls your body's immune response—to work better. While this may not stop your body from responding to false signals, it can potentially prevent the problem from worsening.  

Chiropractors create RA treatment schedules based on the severity of each patient’s symptoms and how often they experience joint swelling. Often, this treatment is performed in concert with massage to help further ease pain. The holistic health professionals also provide dietary and exercise recommendations that help individuals with the disease enjoy a higher quality of life. 

Schedule chiropractic care with Adams Clinic of Chiropractic to develop a pain management plan for RA or other pain issues, such as back and neck pain. The chiropractic clinic has served residents throughout Monroe, GA, since 2008, providing adjustments, physical therapy, and other pain management services. Call (770) 267-3277 today to make an appointment, or learn more about services online. Like the Facebook page for additional pain management tips.