Arthritic and Rheumatic Pain

All of us beyond our twenties experience degenerative changes of our joints because of the limited way we use our bodies. This degeneration speeds up the ageing of our joints, and older joints are less tolerant of knocks and bangs. Arthritis is not a disease, but simply wear and tear: it only begins to cause pain once it has become more advanced.

Degeneration of the joints happens when the flow of fluid into the joint slows down – cartilage becomes brittle, ligaments, tendons and muscles dry out and lose their elasticity, and the joints lose their 'give and take'. If this process continues unchecked, the cartilage can become chipped and irregular, weight-bearing through the joint becomes uneven, abnormal bony outgrowths begin to form around the edges of the joint, and the joint swells.

The pain is caused by mechanical and chemical irritation of all the tissues of the joint. Mechanical irritation arises when the joint's soft tissues are stretched, often by excess fluid trapped in the joint. Chemical irritation is caused by the effect of 'inflammatory products' produced by the unhappy tissues.

The good news is that we can control the pain by performing simple movements to pump away the excess fluid and free up the stiff, tired joints. This rejuvenates old soft tissues that are binding up a joint too tightly: it is even possible for such movement to stimulate new cartilage growth.

At the same time we stretch and release the gristly old soft tissues that surround the joint – which become thicker and stiffer with lack of activity as time goes by – helping to ease pain and rejuvenate the joint itself.

We are in the business of making old joints 'younger'. Our skill lies in using therapeutic movements to mobilise joints, rather than pushing the debilitated joint too hard too soon.

To learn more, or to make an appointment, please get in touch ›