Naturopathic In Oakville Articles
Arthritis and Naturopathic
Medicine
Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND
(Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine)
• Do your hands ache when you get up in the morning?
• Have you noticed you can’t move around like
you used to?
• Are you looking for alternatives to the standard pain
medications to help you deal with arthritis?
• Do you have a strong family history of arthritis and
are wondering how you can help prevent it?
75% of the Canadian population over the age of 50 is afflicted
with arthritis. If you or someone you love suffers from this
painful, debilitating condition, naturopathic medicine may
be able to help slow down and perhaps reverse the disease
process. By rebalancing your body chemistry, the pain and
inflammation associated with this disease can be relieved.
COMMON TYPES OF ARTHRITIS
Osteoarthritis
Older adults commonly suffer from osteoarthritis as it can
be described as a ‘wear and tear’ form of arthritis.
It occurs when the matrix of cartilage in weight bearing joints
demineralizes leading to bone brittleness and bone spurs.
Patients usually experience the worse stiffness when they
first get up in the morning along with painful or limited
range of motion. It usually does not usually affect all joints
at once and is more common in the hands and knees.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that
affects the whole body. It typically affects the hands, wrists,
feet, ankles and knees but may also include the shoulders
and hips. This form of arthritis is considered an autoimmune
disease which means the body starts to attack its own joints.
The constant state of inflammation in this disease results
in joints that are tender, swollen and almost constant pain
and stiffness. As the disease progresses, joint deformities
may occur.
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE CAN HELP
Slowing the degeneration of joints and managing pain are the
primary goals of treatment. Naturopathic medicine utilizes
specific nutrition, vitamin supplementation, botanical medicine,
acupuncture and lifestyle counseling to achieve better joint
health. The patient’s level of pain and joint deterioration
will help guide the development of a treatment plan. Helping
the body to rebuild its vitality in order to allow for healing
and repair to occur is the primary goal of naturopathic medicine..
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