435 St Georges Rd, Thornbury VIC 3071 (03) 9480 4383

Fax: (03) 9480 3191

Arthritis Cause and Treatment Northcote

Arthritis is a commonly used word that can be misleading. It is a basket term that encompasses over 100 medical conditions that can impact our muscles and joints, some are very rare while others very common.

Rheumatism is a less used term these days but is essentially the same thing as arthritis.

The most prevalent forms of arthritis are;

  1. Osteoarthritis (OA); a condition that impacts any joint between 2 bones. It can affect the bone, cartilage (joint lining), ligaments and muscles.
  2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA); a disease of our autoimmune system where our own bodies defence mechanisms identify our joint linings as “foreign” and set about attacking them causing inflammation and joint destruction
Arthritis Cause And Treatment Northcote
Arthritis Cause And Treatment Northcote

How did I get arthritis?

OA is often described as the “wear and tear” arthritis. It can affect any joint but is most commonly found in the spine, knees, hips and hands.

The risk factors are;

  • Being overweight
  • Previous injury to the joint, especially from work, sport or accidents
  • High repetition activities
  • A family history of OA
  • Getting older

RA is a poorly understood disease. Many triggers have been postulated and require much more investigation. It is known to be more common in smokers and those with a family history.

Osteoarthritis: A Silent Source of Back Pain

Arthritis Foundation

How can arthritis present?

OA; The onset will be usually be slow and gradual. Typical signs and symptoms include

  • Inflammation around the joint
  • Pain with and without movement, often a low degree but constant ache
  • Loss of joint movement and distortion of joint appearance
  • Pain and difficulty in daily tasks such as walking, using your hands, climbing stairs and getting to objects that are on the ground
  • Changes to the joint observable on x-ray studies (common but not always)

RA; Will present with many of the same symptoms as OA. One major point of difference is that the joint changes are usually symmetrical. For example OA will typically be much more in one knee while RA symptoms will be in both knees to similar a degree.

The assessment for RA will involve blood tests for inflammation and certain antibodies while x-rays will be used to confirm particular typical patterns of joint destruction consistent with RA. Medical co-management for RA is important.

Arthritis Causes & Treatment Thornbury – Northcote

How Chiropractic and Myotherapy can help you

  1. Examination

    The first and most important step is to evaluate if we can help you. We are well trained to conduct a thorough history followed by an orthopaedic, neurological and physical examination.
    If you have any imagery studies already performed these are valuable. If you don’t these may be requested if the history and examination deems this important to your case.

  2. Provide a diagnosis

    At the end of our examination we will be able to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of what the problem is.

  3. Plan a Course of Action

    If after the examination we determine that we can help you we will plan a Course of Action to get you back to where you want to be. We will be able to give you

    a) A timeline of how long the process will take
    b) The techniques we recommend
    c) What you need to modify at home and work
    d) Give you any necessary exercises and advice that assist recovery

Our Goal is to help you

Call today on (03) 9480 4383 or

author avatar
Greg Conlan Principal Chiropractor
Chiropractor with 35 years of private practice experience in Melbourne, Australia. Greg has had many years of work in Northcote, Essendon and surrounding suburbs helping people with their lower back pain as well as shoulders, hips and knees. As a "senior" himself, Greg particularly enjoys helping over 40's regain their physical wellbeing and get back into life.
See Full Bio
Hip and knee pain Lower Back Pain