Arthritis Treatment: Focus On Muscular Stiffness, Joint Swelling, And Cartilage Repair

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Effective arthritis treatment reduces inflammation in arthritic joints and creates an atmosphere for the body to repair its own cartilage deterioration. The best way to reduce inflammation is to lengthen all the muscles that attach to or surround the arthritic joint. Cartilage regeneration is also possible if excessive muscular tension is removed from the arthritic joint. Joints typically affected by arthritis are: knee, neck, shoulder, low back, hip, spine, hand or thumb, foot or toe. Regardless of the joint, the best way to treat arthritis is Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) therapy.

Arthritis therapy must address muscular inflexibility, because it is always a principle factor in arthritis pain. Joints are surrounded by muscles. Tightness in muscles cause joint inflammation and cartilage deterioration: two conditions that cause pain in arthritis sufferers. Joint inflammation causes swelling, which induces pain by pressing on the nerves. Furthermore, muscle strains on the arthritic joint cause a wearing down of cartilage. Cartilage is the shock absorber between joints. Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are affected by joint inflammation and cartilage degeneration. Both rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and osteoarthritis sufferers must resolve muscular stiffness as part of their treatment plan. Optimal muscle lengthening is high value treatment for all types of arthritis.

Dr. Arthur Grayzel, former medical director of the Arthritis foundation is quoted in the book Keys to Understanding Arthritis, by Elizabeth Vierck. Dr. Grayzel states that "as people age, muscles lose their elasticity, leading to a reduced range of motion (page 11)." Limited range of motion causes cartilage deterioration. As the area of joint movement decreases, the joint begins to burrow a hole in the cartilage because it constantly treads in the same small area. Active Isolated Stretching therapy increases the range of motion in arthritic joints. As unnecessary muscular tension is taken off the joint, the joint will move in a greater surface area throughout the joint. Ceasing the process of cartilage degeneration.

Leon Sokoloff, M.D. examined cartilage regeneration. His findings are discussed in the book Healing Joint Pain Naturally by Ellen Hodgson Brown. Dr. Sokoloff states that "new cartilage could grow on bones but the real problem is the stress on the joint that keeps intervening and preventing this process (page 22)." If Dr. Sokoloff had studied Active Isolated Stretching, he would have discovered the critical link that helps arthritis sufferers naturally repair their cartilage. The stress on the joint that prevents new cartilage to grow on bones is excessive muscular tension.

In AIS treatment: circulation is refreshed into the problem area; stagnant waste products move out of the arthritic joint; fresh oxygen and nutrition move into the arthritic joint. The condition of cells surrounding the arthritic joint are improved, all of which facilitates cartilage regeneration.

The endorsement of stretching for arthritis pain is nothing new. But Active Isolated Stretching is an optimized form of stretching that is fifteen times more effective than older modalities. Conventional stretching, pnf stretching, yoga, and Thai massage have been incompetent in lengthening muscles. Optimal stretching cannot occur if the stretch hold is done for more than two seconds. Stretches done in repetition are better than one long stretch. The target muscle cannot stretch if the muscle is contracting, so stretch position must be reexamined. And target muscles cannot fully open if the lateral muscle fibers are not addressed. These points are only addressed in Active Isolated Stretching. Active Isolated Stretching reduces joint inflammation and facilitates cartilage regeneration by getting to the source of the problem.