By Schuyler Corrigan

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July 3, 2023

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In the United States, chronic pain is one of the most common reasons people seek treatment. In addition, pain impacts more individuals than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined (1). Like several other chronic illnesses, chronic pain presents in different ways and one familiar diagnosis is known as arthritis. 

 

There are many different types of arthritis, and they are generally characterized by pain, stiffness, or lack of mobility in the joints that worsens with age. With the condition known as osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear damage to a joint’s cartilage causes bone to hit bone where there should otherwise be a protective layer of solid, slick coating to form the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune condition where the immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule, a tough membrane that encloses the joint structure causing constant swelling and inflammation. Both cases cause significant discomfort, lack of mobility, and ultimately chronic pain and inflammation. 

 

Read More: Supporting Autoimmune Conditions through Naturopathic Care

The Naturopathic Approach to Arthritis

Like any condition presented to a naturopathic doctor, they will always begin to look deeply into the root cause, and why the body is functioning this way. They will take an in-depth look at your lifestyle, diet, stress, health history, and family history, along with taking into account recent lab work you’ve done with your other providers to begin connecting the dots of your concerns. They will help you assess what aspects may be contributing to the arthritis presentation. Lifestyle and diet are often part of the picture where specific new approaches may be discussed. Additionally, the microbiome is known to play a significant role in various diseases including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, where diet and lifestyle play as contributors to the stability of the microbiome (2). Thus, this may also be an area for further investigation. If there is pain, inflammation, or reparative support that is needed, certain diets, nutrients, botanical medicine, or homeopathics may be incorporated to address both symptom management and root cause. If you are currently on medications for pain management, they will work collaboratively with this and with your healthcare team to create personalized care for you. 

Questions your naturopathic doctor may ask include:

–    Where is your pain? 

–    What does it feel like exactly?

–    When did it start? Was there an event you can recall that may have occurred prior to the onset?

–    Have you felt this pain before?

–    What makes it feel better or worse?

–    Does your pain radiate anywhere? How severe is your pain?

–    Is there a time of day that it feels better or worse?  

–   Tell us about your family history- does anyone else have this in your family?

–   What medications and/or supplements are you on?    

 

To learn more about how naturopathic medicine including botanical medicine and homeopathy can help you experience less pain and greater ease in your body, call our office at (804) 977-2634 or send us an appointment request here. RNM also offers additional services such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy that are excellent complements to homeopathic support.

 

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92525/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6903327/