Arthritis is a term often used to describe joint degeneration.

However, there are more than 100 arthritic conditions that affect the joints and ‘itis’ actually means inflammation or swelling.

The most common symptoms are stiffness when moving your joints and restriction of the amount of movement you can achieve, swelling around the joint and pain. The amount of pain can vary day to day and arthritis can lead to chronic pain the older we get.

Osteoarthritis or wear and tear happens to all of us to some degree the older we get and if we have done a lot of sports or physical work during our lives, we are more likely to suffer from this form of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides are actually diseases that damage the joint.

Chiropractors can help osteoarthritic pain by mobilising the joints; giving exercises to improve movement and diet can play a big part in controlling the pain you feel – some foods cause inflammation and therefore pain and others help reduce it.

If your joints don’t move well then you are more likely to suffer from arthritis – which is why chiropractic treatment can help to reduce the likelihood of developing it.