Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis(OA) is the most common joint disease of humans. The primary changes in OA begin in the cartilage, but
over time often has a direct impact on other parts of the joint. The following are the most common risk factors for OA.
| . Age | . Repetitive stress, e.g. vocational |
| . Female Sex | . Obesity |
| . Race | . Congenital/developmental defects |
| . Genetic Factors | . Prior inflammatory joint disease |
| . Major joint trauma | . Metabolic/endocrine disorders |
At Healing Choices, we have a rehabilitation focus. It is essential to work with each on this risk factors that are
modifiable to better address the underlying contributing cause of the problem. Although medications may assist with short
term symptom control, they may not be without risk for many individuals. It is the philosophy at Healing Choices that an
individual assessment be undertaken to explore all reasonable treatment options(including a surgical referral when necessary)
with the goal of decreased pain and improved function while minimizing the need for prescription or over the counter drugs
whenever possible.
A recent large randomized double blind study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrated
favorable results with patients suffering with OA of the knee. In addition to acupuncture,we have access to a skilled
physical therapy team that includes pool therapy, nutritional and lifestyle counseling, and clinical expertise in the area
of nutritional/herbal and homeopathic approaches.