Arthritis

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is defined as the degeneration of one or more joints, resulting in pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced range of motion. Arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the joints.

What are the symptoms?

Arthritis has a number of pronounced symptoms, which include:

• Joint pain and tenderness
• Stiffness of the joints, especially when getting up in the morning
• Swelling, redness and warmth of the area around the joint
• An injury to the joint that does not seem to heal
• Numbness or tingling in the hands
• Pain or inflammation of the foot

How they treat it

Conventional Western medicine has no permanent cure for arthritis, treating conditions with a combination of ongoing medication, physical and occupational therapy and possibly surgery. The medications commonly prescribed are NSAIDS, which includes aspirin, Motrin and Advil, steroids or immunosuppressant drugs. NSAIDs have powerful side effects that can lead to secondary issues, such as stomach problems, including bleeding and ulcers. Immunosuppressant drugs can weaken the immune system, which puts patients at risk for a host of other illnesses, including cancer and issues that the body’s own defenses would normally take care of.

How we treat it

At the Magaziner Center for Wellness, we offer treatment options for arthritis. Rather than simply prescribing medication to mask the symptoms, we take a holistic approach, evaluating our patients to determine all causes and contributing factors. The options we offer includes prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma and various regenerative therapies, designed to repair the joint, rather than simply suppressing symptoms, while the joint continues to degrade.

Our program also includes specialized diets, allergy elimination, supplements, detoxification and the use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) to help control patient’s symptoms and decrease swelling. These therapies have enabled us to successfully treat patients for whom conventional therapies did not work, as well as those who did not want to risk the side effects associated with long-term steroid or immunosuppressant therapy.