What does it mean to shift how we think about a disease process such as osteoarthritis from one believed to be inevitable to one that can be prevented and onset prolonged? It means the difference between doing something about inflammation when it happens and just accepting that it’s a fact of life that we wear and tear down. As a massage therapist for 16 years I’ve seen one of two things come across my table: someone with long term inadequately healed and chronic shoulder, neck, and back injury is commonly diagnosed with osteoarthritis as the cause of pain and limited movement. The other person is someone who treated the injury site with massage therapy, physical therapy, and conditioning long before the injury sets in and becomes chronic. This second person experiences less pain, maintains healthy joint movements, prolongs the onset of osteoarthritis, and remains capable of participating in vital and joyful life activities.

Investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the onset of osteoarthritis is in great part driven by low-grade inflammatory processes and “This is at odds with the prevailing view attributing the condition to a lifetime of wear and tear on long-suffering joints.” Learn more about why this paradigm shift in how doctors think about osteoarthritis and how that can impact your health and quality of life.

Learn more. Read this related article, Is The Risk Of Disability From Knee Osteoarthritis As Great As That From Heart Disease?

 

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Hands On Health Massage Therapy And Wellness
7980 Chapel Hill Road, Ste 125
Cary NC 27513
919.854.9555