Do you ever wake up feeling as if your joints are stiff or tight? Do they ache as you get moving in the morning, becoming less painful as the day goes on? If so, this may be a sign of early-onset arthritis.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis affects over 50 million people and it is currently the leading cause of disability across the nation. Arthritis causes pain and inflammation, and it can affect one or multiple joints at once.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. This is caused when the cartilage around the joints wears down, either due to age or overuse. This causes pain in the joint, as the cartilage is no longer acting as the thick cushion that it once was. Without a cushion, the bones grind together, which in turn can cause the joints to become stiff and achy. Rheumatoid arthritis, also referred to as “inflammatory arthritis,” is also fairly common, but it is an autoimmune disease that can affect the joints on both sides of the body, and it is typically more prevalent in females than males.

Arthritis can be managed with the help of our highly trained staff. We will assess if exercises and specialized movements will be beneficial in providing pain relief for your arthritis during everyday activities, and help you prevent injuring yourself in the future. Your physical therapist or occupational therapist will also help you increase your range of motion in your arthritic joints. If you are suffering from arthritis, or you think you may be experiencing arthritic symptoms, contact Vineyard Complementary Medicine to schedule a consultation.

Pain doesn’t always work in traditional ways. An injury causing pain that goes away after a period of healing is “acute pain”. But sometimes pain can linger for days, weeks, or even months due to an underlying condition. When pain persists for three months or longer, that is referred to as “chronic pain.”

Chronic pain is a constant discomfort that lasts for 3-6 months (or longer!) despite your best efforts to relieve it. There are several reasons why people may experience chronic pain, and it is the most common reason for seeking medical help. It can greatly hinder your quality of life by limiting your mobility, creating a dependence on prescription drugs, or even causing anxiety and depression. However, this can all be avoided with the help of early treatment.

Most cases of chronic pain stem from the musculoskeletal system. This includes your muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues. Chronic pain can appear in the form of back pain, joint pain, nerve pain, or headaches. Vineyard Complementary Medicine is a practice of implementing a group of holistic diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines together with conventional medicine. Our physical therapists, occupational therapists, and acupuncturists are highly-trained movement experts who can diagnose physical problems and any underlying structural causes surrounding those problems. They analyze weak areas of the body, focus on places with limited range of motion, and look for any imbalances in gait or standing. All of this helps them identify the underlying causes of chronic pain. If you are interested in relieving your chronic pain through physical therapy, occupational therapy, and acupuncture, contact Vineyard Complementary Medicine.