Chiropractic Care for Degenerative Joint Disease

Are you considering chiropractic care for your arthritis? Here’s what you need to know!

Chiropractic treatment is a non-invasive, drug-free option that can play a significant role in managing DJD. Chiropractors focus on spinal and joint alignment, which helps improve movement patterns, reduce pain, and support overall joint function.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for DJD Include:

• Pain Relief: Gentle adjustments can help reduce joint pressure and nerve irritation, easing discomfort.
• Improved Joint Mobility: Restoring proper joint alignment enhances range of motion and flexibility.
• Decreased Inflammation: Chiropractic care may help lower inflammation in and around the joints.
• Enhanced Posture and Balance: Proper alignment supports better biomechanics, helping to reduce wear on affected joints.

Learn more in our latest article.

Start Feeling Better with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor

Chiropractic work can help you manage degenerative disc disease, as well as many other secondary conditions. To get started with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor, schedule a no-commitment consultation by calling 734-221-0362 or submitting a contact form here.

Causes of Degenerative Joint Disease

Did you know that arthritis is actually Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)?

Degenerative Joint Disease can develop due to a combination of factors, including:

• Aging: Cartilage naturally deteriorates with age.
• Joint Overuse: Repetitive motion or long-term physical stress on joints, such as from manual labor or sports, can accelerate cartilage breakdown.
• Injury: Previous joint injuries or trauma (e.g. fractures or ligament tears) increase the risk of DJD.
• Obesity: Excess body weight puts added stress on weight-bearing joints like the knees, hips, and spine.
• Genetics: A family history of osteoarthritis can increase susceptibility.
• Poor Posture or Biomechanics: Misaligned joints and abnormal movement patterns can hasten joint wear.

Learn more in our latest article.

Start Feeling Better with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor

Chiropractic work can help you manage degenerative disc disease, as well as many other secondary conditions. To get started with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor, schedule a no-commitment consultation by calling 734-221-0362 or submitting a contact form here.

Don't immobilize a torn ligament.

Do you have a torn ligament?

Too often, a person injures a ligament and their healthcare provider tells them to wear a brace, or wraps the area to immobilize it. Research shows that “immobilization causes ligament physiology to progressively change from anabolic to a more catabolic state.” This means that the ligament tissue breaks down and is much weaker when it is immobilized. On the other hand, when the tissue is exercised, research shows that there is a direct correlation between the number of collagen fibrils, their arrangement, and their average thickness with the ligament. “In a systematic review, early mobilization was found to decrease pain, swelling and stiffness, to preserve more of the ligament’s range of motion, and to result in a quicker return to work.” This means that with movement, the ligament tissue heals faster and stronger. In the case of a major ligament rupture, surgery along with casting may be necessary in the beginning stages, but a guided exercise routine will be necessary to ensure adequate healing as time progresses. 

Learn more in our latest article.

An Ann Arbor Chiropractor Can Help You Recover

Along with physical rehabilitation, your Ann Arbor chiropractor can work in collaboration with your other doctors to be part of a treatment plan for ligament injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, adjustments to improve stability, mobility, reduce pain, and improved healing can be an important part of ligament damage recovery.

To get started or ask a question, call (734) 221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

Source: Hauser, R., Dolan, E., Phillips, H., Newlin, A., R., & Woldin, B. (2013). Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics [Abstract]. The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 6(1), 20th ser. doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001

Did I tear a ligament, or is it just a pulled muscle?

Unsure if the pain is a torn ligament or pulled muscle?

A trained chiropractor or medical provider can assess if an injury resulted in a pulled muscle or sprain/tear of a ligament. This is determined through a comprehensive evaluation of the injured area. Generally, when a ligament is damaged, you will notice pain, swelling, and sometimes bruising. If the ligament is torn or ruptured, in addition to extreme pain, it may also feel loose or weak, like the joint will give out. Depending on the severity of the injury, a proper course of treatment is essential to ensuring adequate healing.

Most minor ligament sprains will heal on their own if they’re taken care of properly. In the case of a ruptured or torn ligament, surgery may be required to fix the damage along with physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion.

If a ligament injury is minor then there are a few things you can do on your own to ensure proper healing. Check them out in our latest article.

An Ann Arbor Chiropractor Can Help You Recover

Along with physical rehabilitation, your Ann Arbor chiropractor can work in collaboration with your other doctors to be part of a treatment plan for ligament injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, adjustments to improve stability, mobility, reduce pain, and improved healing can be an important part of ligament damage recovery.

To get started or ask a question, call (734) 221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

Source: Hauser, R., Dolan, E., Phillips, H., Newlin, A., R., & Woldin, B. (2013). Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics [Abstract]. The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 6(1), 20th ser. doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001

Intro to Healing Ligaments

When a ligament is injured, how does it heal?

There is much knowledge on the structure and function of normal ligament tissue, but there is still limited research on ligament injuries and the complicated nature of ligament healing. 

Healing within an injured ligament is a complex dance of cellular processes, which “cause alterations in the biology and biomechanics of the injured ligament, leading to inadequate healing and tissue formation that is inferior to the tissue it has replaced” according to the Open Rehabilitation Journal. “The incomplete healing and lower integrity of the new ligament tissue results in ligament laxity, predisposing the joint to further injury.  The cycle of injury and laxity causes joint instability which, leads to chronic pain, diminished function, and ultimately, to osteoarthritis (OA) of the affected joint.”

Ligaments take a long time to fully heal, and this occurs in three phases: the acute inflammatory phase, the proliferative or regenerative/repair phase, and the tissue-remodeling phase.

Read more in our latest article.

How can an Ann Arbor Can Chiropractor Help with Ligament Injuries?

Along with physical rehabilitation, your Ann Arbor chiropractor can work in collaboration with your other doctors to be part of a treatment plan for ligament injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, adjustments to improve stability, mobility, reduce pain, and improved healing can be an important part of ligament damage recovery.

To get started or ask a question, call (734) 221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

Source: Hauser, R., Dolan, E., Phillips, H., Newlin, A., R., & Woldin, B. (2013). Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics [Abstract]. The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 6(1), 20th ser. doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001

Intro to Ligaments and Ligament Injuries

What are ligaments?

What happens when they’re injured?

Ligaments are made up of dense connective tissue that hold bones together, supporting every joint in your body. They act to stabilize your joints while at rest and during normal range of motion. Ligaments are important for both stability and mobility in a joint. When a ligament is injured, it disrupts the balance between those two qualities.  

This imbalance will lead to an abnormal transmission of forces, which can lead to injury in other tissues around the joint.  The most common joints that suffer from ligament injuries are the shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, elbow, and wrist.  Research has shown that spinal ligament injuries account for a majority of auto accident injuries, and just like other major joints in the body, they are susceptible to similar outcomes when injured.    

Just like muscles, ligaments can stretch, however, they’re not as forgiving as muscles.  When you stretch a muscle, it’s like stretching a pair of yoga pants – they expand then contract back to their normal size.  Ligaments, on the other hand, are like a pair of denim jeans – it takes much more force to stretch them, but when it does happen, you notice tears or fraying in the fibers.

When a ligament is stretched past its physical limitations, the fibers will tear. If the trauma is severe enough, the ligament can rupture all the way through.  Damage to the ligament causes a permanent change in the ligamentous fibers. 

Read more in our latest article.

How can an Ann Arbor Can Chiropractor Help with Ligament Injuries?

Along with physical rehabilitation, your Ann Arbor chiropractor can work in collaboration with your other doctors to be part of a treatment plan for ligament injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, adjustments to improve stability, mobility, reduce pain, and improved healing can be an important part of ligament damage recovery.

To get started or ask a question, call (734) 221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

Source: Hauser, R., Dolan, E., Phillips, H., Newlin, A., R., & Woldin, B. (2013). Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics [Abstract]. The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 6(1), 20th ser. doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001

What Triggers Headaches and How do I Find Relief?

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 50% of the global population is affected by headaches and headache type disorders. Among these individuals, 30% reported migraines.

Additionally, headaches that last 15 days or more per month affect 1.7-4% of the world’s adult population.

Do you suffer from headaches or migraines? Does the pain keep you from doing activities that you love?

Here’s some facts to keep in mind:

• The brain doesn’t have pain receptors! The structures around the brain and skull, however, do feel pain.
• A headache occurs when there are mixed signals between the brain, blood vessels, and nearby nerves.
• When the suboccipital nerves are compressed or obstructed, it can cause blood vessels to swell. This increased blood flow that leads to swelling can cause increased sensation of pressure in the head.

Read the full article about headache pain relief through chiropractic care on our website!

If you’re tired of managing headache pain and want to find long-lasting relief, specific corrective care may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

When you visit Dr. Gessert, he’ll provide a complimentary consultation to talk about your pain and what the course of treatment might be for you.

Every person in our practice is treated for their specific needs and symptoms. If you feel like you’ve tried everything to get rid of constant headaches, but you haven’t tried chiropractic care, now is the time.

Schedule your appointment with Dr. Gessert today to finally feel relief from tension and migraine headaches!

What's Causing Your Frequent Headaches?

Do you suffer from frequent headaches?

Do you find yourself keeping spare pain relievers with you so you’ll always have relief?

Headaches are very common with so many of us, and some people feel that a headache is a normal part of their day. 

Could neck pain and neck tension be an underlying cause of your frequent headaches?

Even though headaches may be very common, they are not normal. To better understand how to treat the causes of your headaches, you need to first understand the most common types: tension or migraine.

Read more on our website!

4 Stretches to Provide Pain Relief While Working at Home

If you’ve been working from home, think about how much movement you’re getting throughout the day. You wake up, walk from your bedroom to the kitchen, poor a cup of coffee, then head to your home office to begin the day. Lunchtime rolls around when you grab a bite to eat, then back to work. When the day finally ends, you probably go sit at the kitchen table, eat dinner, relax on the couch to unwind, and then off to bed … only to wake up the next day and do it all over again. This is a typical day for millions of Americans right now.

What’s the answer?

You have to get your body moving and out of the house! Take 30-45 minutes to work out in the morning or afternoon. This could be a walk or run around the neighborhood, or a series of body weight exercises. If you’re lucky enough to have a home gym, go ahead and pump some iron. Mobility is also important! Spend 2-3 minutes every hour stretching. That might seem like a lot, but its only 2-3 minutes, and in reality, if you mute yourself on those conference calls, so you can multitask.

Spending 2-3 minutes every hour to do some general maintenance on your body will help counteract a lot of the physical stress and achiness you experience while working from home.

Read the full article on our website to see the 4 stretches Dr. Gessert recommends to keep you active while working at home.

Get Relief from Constant Neck Pain and Tension

Do you suffer from constant neck pain?

Are you tempted to crack your neck to get a tiny bit of relief from neck pain and tension? Cracking your own neck is never a good idea.

Not only could you cause yourself more pain, but the tension you’re experiencing could be the sign of a bigger problem.

Read more about neck pain do’s and don’ts on our website! 

If you can’t get to the chiropractor in the next few days or week, there are some small steps you can take to find temporary relief from neck pain.

Remember: these are just treating the symptoms of your condition, not the cause. A visit to the chiropractor will take care of the root causes, and hopefully get rid of your pain or tension for good.

In the meantime:

• Use good posture 
• Take frequent breaks 
• Adjust your desk, chair, and computer 
• Avoid carrying heavy bags with straps over your shoulder 
• Sleep in a good position 
• Schedule your complimentary consultation with Dr. Andrew! 

To schedule a complimentary consultation, where a conversation is never a commitment, contact us at 734-221-0362.