Arthritis means inflammation in a joint. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, involves gradual wear to the cartilage that cushions the joint, producing stiffness, aching, and reduced range of motion. The wear itself cannot be reversed, but how the joint is loaded and how much inflammation it carries can both be changed, and those are usually what determines how much it actually hurts.
Where We See It Most
- Spine — neck and lower back, often with stiffness that eases once you get moving
- Knees — one of the most common and most limiting
- Shoulders — losing overhead range first
- Hips — often felt in the groin rather than the hip itself
- Hands — stiff grip, worst first thing in the morning
Why Movement Beats Rest
Joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It is fed by movement — compression and release pushing fluid through it. A joint that stops moving stops being nourished properly, so protecting an arthritic joint by not using it tends to accelerate exactly what you are trying to avoid.
That is not an argument for grinding through pain. It is an argument for restoring the motion the joint can tolerate, which is a large part of what care here is aimed at.
How Dr. Hansen Treats It
First, take the abnormal load off. Restricted joints elsewhere force an arthritic joint to absorb more than its share. Chiropractic adjustments restore motion to what is stuck, redistributing that load. Where foot mechanics are driving knee or hip wear, custom orthotics may be part of it.
Second, address the inflammation. SoftWave therapy is FDA-cleared shockwave treatment that stimulates the body's own repair response in tissue with poor blood supply — which describes an arthritic joint well. Sessions are five to ten minutes with no downtime.
Realistic Expectations
Nobody can regrow the cartilage you have lost, and you should be sceptical of anyone implying otherwise. What is genuinely achievable is less pain, better range of motion, and slowing the progression by fixing the mechanics accelerating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chiropractic help arthritis or will it make it worse?
Handled properly it helps, by restoring motion and reducing abnormal load. Dr. Hansen examines and adapts technique to the joint — an arthritic joint is not adjusted the way a healthy one is.
Is arthritis just part of getting older?
Wear accumulates with age, but how fast and how much it hurts are heavily influenced by mechanics, load, and inflammation. Plenty of older people have arthritic changes with little pain.
Can SoftWave help an arthritic knee?
Arthritic knees are among the most common things we treat with it. Whether it suits your joint depends on the assessment.
Do I have to stop exercising?
Usually the opposite — joints need movement to stay nourished. What may need to change is which activities and how they are loaded, which is worth working out with someone who has examined you.
Last reviewed 2026-09-10 by Hansen Chiropractic. This page is general information, not medical advice. Individual results vary.
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