Condition
Chiropractor for Osteoarthritis in Currambine
Osteoarthritis is not simply wear and tear, and it is not a reason to stop moving. Clinical guidelines around the world put exercise and load management first for the joints it affects — ahead of injections, ahead of surgery, and ahead of anything passive.
Can a chiropractor help with osteoarthritis?
Chiropractic care can help with the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis, but the part that changes how the joint functions is exercise. Care at Northern Beaches Chiropractic in Currambine combines hands-on treatment for symptom relief with a strengthening and movement plan, which is the approach clinical guidelines recommend first.
What commonly contributes to it
People commonly visit us for assessment and management of osteoarthritis. These are the factors that turn up most often — your own picture is worked out in the assessment.
- Age, which is the single biggest factor and the one nobody controls
- Previous joint injury, particularly to the knee — a past ACL or meniscus injury raises the risk considerably
- Family history, which matters more than most people realise
- Body weight, which affects the knee and hip both mechanically and metabolically
- Long-term occupational loading, such as years of kneeling or heavy manual work
Wear and tear is a misleading way to describe it
The phrase suggests a joint grinding itself away, and that using it more must make it worse. Neither is quite right. Osteoarthritis involves the whole joint — cartilage, bone, the capsule and the surrounding muscle — and it is an active process rather than simple erosion.
It also means the scan and the symptoms frequently disagree. Substantial changes turn up on the X-rays of people with no pain at all, and people with significant pain sometimes have modest-looking images. What the joint can do is a better guide than what it looks like.
Exercise is the first-line treatment
Clinical guidelines consistently place exercise, education and, where relevant, weight management at the centre of osteoarthritis care for the knee and hip. The effect on pain and function is comparable to what is achieved with medication, without the side effects.
The type matters less than the doing. Strength work, walking, cycling and water-based exercise all have support behind them, and the best programme is the one you will actually keep going with.
Loading an arthritic joint appropriately does not damage it. Avoiding load weakens the muscle around it, which over time usually makes things worse rather than better.
What hands-on care contributes, and what it does not
Manual therapy, soft tissue work and dry needling can bring pain and stiffness down far enough to make the exercise possible. In a joint that hurts to move, that is a real contribution.
What it will not do is change the structure of the joint. Nobody can reverse osteoarthritis or regrow cartilage, and anyone offering to should be treated with suspicion. The honest goal is a joint that hurts less and does more.
Frequently asked questions
Will chiropractic care cure my arthritis?
No. Nothing currently available reverses osteoarthritis. What good management does is reduce pain, improve how the joint moves, and keep you doing the things you want to keep doing — which for most people is the outcome that actually matters.
Should I avoid running if I have knee osteoarthritis?
Not necessarily. Recreational running is not associated with a higher rate of knee osteoarthritis, and in some studies is associated with a lower rate. What matters is progressing the load sensibly and watching how the knee responds over the following day.
Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?
There is no evidence that it does. The studies that have looked at habitual knuckle cracking have not found a link with osteoarthritis of the hands.
Can I claim osteoarthritis treatment through Medicare?
Possibly. Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, and a GP can assess whether you are eligible for a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, which can contribute to the cost of a limited number of allied health appointments each calendar year. It is arranged by your GP, not by us.
Do I need a joint replacement?
That is a decision for an orthopaedic surgeon, and it is usually considered when pain and loss of function persist despite a genuine trial of conservative management. Many people do well enough with exercise-led care that the question does not arise, and those who do go on to surgery generally recover better if they are stronger beforehand.
Related pages
Last reviewed by Dr Corey Williams, Chiropractor. This page is general information, not individual health advice.
Get your osteoarthritis assessed
Book an assessment at the Currambine clinic and find out what is actually going on.