Degenerative Arthritis

Should I visit a chiropractor?

Posted on 02.7.20 |

Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Do frequent headaches interfere with your life?

If so, you may wonder what the best treatment option is.

Did you know your local chiropractor offers effective treatment solutions that are noninvasive and drug-free? That could be why approximately 22 million Americans visit a chiropractor each year. With those visits, 35 percent, or around 7.7 million, seek care for relief from back pain caused by sports injuries, accidents, and muscle sprains and strains.

If you are in the Roanoke, TX area, Dr. Cody Doyle offers safe, effective treatment options for your pain. With over two decades of experience, he has successfully brought relief to thousands of suffering patients.

But Dr. Doyle goes above and beyond chiropractic care. He also offers acupuncture and myofascial release therapy, as well as other alternative therapies, such as nutrition counseling, ultrasound therapy, muscle stimulation, and education regarding home exercise.

And he treats a lot more than just neck and back pain. Keep reading to learn the surprising conditions chiropractic care can help.

What is a chiropractor?

A chiropractor is someone licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic, with the initials DC after their name. When you see these initials, you know your provider has received extensive training in disorders of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments.

Training and education to be a chiropractor include a four-year undergraduate degree (usually a “pre-med” type of degree) and four years of chiropractic school (approximately 4,200 instructional hours). In addition, they have taken and passed a National Board Exam.

A chiropractic program typically looks something like this:

First year: Courses in biochemistry, spinal anatomy, general anatomy, and chiropractic principles.
Second year: Courses in pathology, imaging interpretation, clinical orthopedics, chiropractic procedures, and research methods.
Third year: Courses in integrated chiropractic, dermatology, pediatrics, practice management, clinical internships, and ethics and jurisprudence.
Fourth year: Clinical internship, when the student completes rotations in a clinic or hospital and studies chiropractic care under a licensed chiropractor.

In addition, many chiropractors, such as Dr. Doyle, spend a tremendous amount of time learning about various other specialties, such as sports medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, and acupuncture.

What is chiropractic care

The main treatments chiropractors perform involve hands-on spinal and joint manipulations to achieve proper alignment of the spine and the body’s musculoskeletal structure. When joints are out of proper alignment, it can cause pain in the neck, back, head, hands, arms, feet, and legs.

Proper alignment allows the body to heal itself naturally without drugs or invasive treatments, such as surgery.

These manipulations restore joint mobility caused by tissue injury from trauma, such as a car accident or fall, and repetitive stress, such as from performing the same stressful movements over and over.

What conditions can a chiropractor treat?

Typically, patients go to a chiropractor for pain relief from injury to joints, muscles, and connective tissue, such as ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. While some patients receive chiropractic care as an adjunct to other treatments, many patients find relief from their pain with chiropractic care alone.

Chiropractic care can relieve pain that is acute, chronic, or from repetitive stress in the back, neck, head, and upper and lower extremities.

Examples of chronic pain include diagnoses like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or degenerative disc disease.

Acute pain can be caused by things like moving heavy furniture, a fall or car accident, or being tackled too hard. Acute pain typically does not last longer than six weeks.

Repetitive stress can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff (shoulder) pain, and plantar fasciitis (foot pain).

However, many patients also seek chiropractic care for issues not involving pain.

Some surprising conditions chiropractors treat successfully include:

Migraine and tension headaches
Seasonal allergies
Neuropathies
Weight loss
Stress and anxiety
Gastrointestinal issues
Insomnia
Pregnancy-related pains
Preparation for labor and delivery to reduce the pain of childbirth
Infertility
Weak immune system

You may wonder how a chiropractor can help with these conditions. The fact is, nerve impulses travel between your entire body and your brain through the spine, which is the root of your nervous system. When your spine is out of alignment, it puts the body under tremendous stress and can cause a multitude of problems.

Many illnesses and issues are worsened or caused by this stress, with activates the “fight or flight” reaction in the body. This increases your heart rate and blood pressure and redirects your blood away from your digestive system, organs, and extremities.

Over time, this wreaks havoc on your body and increases your risk of diabetes, muscle tissue damage, infertility, slowed healing, and damage to your immune system.

When put back into proper alignment, your body can process and manage stress in a much healthier way, allowing your body to heal itself.

Also, spinal adjustments improve blood circulation and reduce spinal nerve irritation. This helps your brain to turn off the fight or flight response, which also assists the body in healing.

In addition, Dr. Doyle can recommend helpful vitamins and supplements, teach you home exercises and relaxation techniques, and help you improve your posture.

What does chiropractic care involve?

At the first visit, Dr. Doyle will perform a comprehensive examination, which includes any necessary x-rays and gathering information about your medical history, current medications, and lifestyle factors. Next, he will discuss your symptoms, concerns, goals, and desires, and answer any questions you have. Once he has an accurate diagnosis, he will work with you to come up with a treatment plan.

The goal of chiropractic care includes restoring the function of joints, muscles, and connective tissue to align your spine and musculoskeletal system. This will also improve your range of motion, which helps prevent additional injuries.

Chiropractic treatment involves manual adjustments, where Dr. Doyle will manipulate your joints into proper alignment using sudden but controlled force. While some patients fear the adjustments will cause pain, you do not need to worry. Occasionally there is a very quick moment of “pain,” as if you were pinched, but it abates instantly. Then, what you will notice is the relief of pain as the adjustment reduces the irritation of your muscles, joints, and nerves.

At the beginning of your chiropractic treatment, you are in an “urgent care” phase, and more frequent visits may be needed. This is important because the benefits of chiropractic care have a cumulative effect, and repeat treatments are needed to train the body, just like repeat exercise is needed for strength training.

After a few weeks, however, most patients can move to the rehabilitation phase, which requires less frequent visits. Once your pain is well controlled, you go into maintenance. At this point, treatment is pretty much “as needed.”

Are you ready to see how good a chiropractor can help you feel?

If you are in the Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, or Southlake area, call (817) 767-5430 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Doyle. He would love to help you get on the road to health and wellbeing.

Why Are My Joints So Stiff?

Posted on 10.10.18 |

Stiff joints are a problem nearly everyone will experience at some point as they age. Interestingly enough, they are not always caused by the same underlying problem. How can you tell whether your stiff joints are something that requires treatment? Should you try to exercise your stiff joints more or less to make them work better? Below are several possible causes of stiff joints.

If your stiff joints are starting to slow down your active lifestyle, visit Argyle TX chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle. Call us at 817-767-5430 to make an appointment. We carefully assess your unique symptoms and employ many treatment options to help you recover flexibility and comfort.

The Natural Result of Aging

As we age, our cartilage becomes drier and less flexible. Our bodies also stop making as much synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant to keep your joints flexible. If your joint stiffness is caused by age, the best way to deal with it is to keep using the affected joints as much as possible, since movement helps keep the joint healthy.

Morning Joint Stiffness

When you are still for long periods of time, your synovial fluid can’t do its job properly. That’s why you might notice feeling a bit like the Tin Man when you first wake up in the morning. This is perfectly natural and not cause for alarm. Morning joint stiffness should go away slowly once you get moving again.

Changes in Barometric Pressure

It may seem like an old-wives tale that you can feel an imminent change in weather “in your bones.” However, many people can feel a drop in barometric pressure in their joints. This type of drop usually happens just before a low-pressure weather system, such as storm. If you feel bodily changes just before a storm, this does not necessarily mean you need treatment, but it may help you know which joints you should keep an eye on for future treatment.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative arthritis, often develops at a number of places on our bodies where two bones meet: the knees, the elbows, the wrist. These joints get used over and over, and eventually the flexible cartilage at the ends of the bones starts to wear away. When the cartilage is gone, the bones rub against each other, and this can cause pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion. If osteoarthritis is the cause of your stiff joints, visit Argyle TX chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle and ask which treatments might help you preserve your cartilage and keep yourself flexible and functional.

Joint Injury from Overuse

If you are a very active person who is experiencing stiffness in a joint that you use regularly, you may have injured the joint by overusing it. Bursitis and tendonitis are very common among athletes but there are treatments that can help you take better care of your joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Other Less-Common Types of Arthritis

Another form of arthritis can occur when your immune system attacks the synovial fluid of your joint. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the hands and wrists, but can attack any joint in your body and cause pain and stiffness. If your joints are stiff and inflamed, ask your doctor whether your symptoms sound more like RA or OA, as the treatments for these types of arthritis are not the same.

There are a few other forms of arthritis that can cause stiff joints, including: psoriatic arthritis, infectious arthritis, ankylosing arthritis, and gout. These conditions have very different treatments than RA or OA, so visit your doctor if you notice unusual pain and stiffness anywhere in your body.

Treatment for Joint Pain and Stiffness with an Argyle TX Chiropractor

If you experience stiff joints, visit Doyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture for an evaluation. Whether your problems are caused by degenerative arthritis, injury, or just the normal processes of aging—he can help you understand your condition and work on healing it. Some joints do better with exercise and physical therapy, while others require targeted treatments aimed to help your body function better and heal itself.

Visit Argyle TX chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle and we’ll help you reduce your joint stiffness and pain. Call us at 817-767-5430 to schedule a consultation.

Your Joints – Use Them or Lose Them!

Posted on 08.27.18 |

Joint pain and joint degeneration (osteoarthritis) has long been thought of as a natural consequence of aging and hard use. Cartilage breaks down in the joints over time. Repetitive use of certain joints can make them more prone to arthritis. Think of your grandmother, whose hands became gnarled and fingers became twisted after years of sewing and knitting. Or Shaquille O’Neal developing arthritis in his big toe after running, jumping, and dunking basketballs for years. Some joints are more prone to arthritis if they are used more than others.

But arthritis can also be a result of under-use. Movement in the joint helps protect it from degeneration. Cartilage gets its nutrients and retains its elasticity from using the joint. Underuse can cause further deterioration and pain.

Do you suffer from painful joints or degenerative arthritis? Argyle chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle can help you stay active and reduce your pain. Call Doyle Chiropractic and Acupuncture at 817-767-5430 to make an appointment.

Exercise as a Treatment for Arthritis

One of the best ways to protect your joints is to keep them active. Motion helps your joints stay healthy and flexible. Getting regular exercise and taking the time to stretch can help your arthritis symptoms in a number of ways:

Exercise helps you maintain a healthy body weight, which can lessen joint pain.
Muscle strength helps take pressure off joints.
Muscle tissue absorbs shock that may otherwise hit the joints.
Stretching helps your damaged joints stay flexible and can reduce swelling.

If you are starting to experience joint degeneration, you can prevent things from getting worse by finding opportunities to exercise that don’t push you past your limits (and into pain). If you used to enjoy running, but now your left knee swells up and stiffens any time you jog, try something lower-impact. Walking, swimming, and cycling can deliver a lower-impact workout that keeps your muscles and joint moving and flexible.

Joint Degeneration Affects the Spine, As Well

Once you get to a point when you’re starting to feel the stiffness or swelling that can indicate osteoarthritis, you should also start thinking about your back. Your spine isn’t just one joint, but 29 individual joints that make up the vertebrae. Just like the other joints in your body, the vertebrae need exercise to keep the cartilage and discs from degenerating.

What kind of exercises are best for protecting the spine from joint degeneration? Any exercise that works out the core muscles of the back and abdomen. Pilates, yoga, and Tai Chi are great for the spine because they incorporate stretching and strengthening, while focusing on spinal alignment. Ultimately, as long as you are up and moving, rather than sitting for long hours every day, you’re going to be strengthening the muscles that support the spine and keep it flexible.

Arthritis Treatment with Argyle Chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle

If you suffer from degenerative arthritis, visit Argyle chiropractor Dr. Cody Doyle. We have many potential treatments that might help you, depending on your symptoms and individual joint problems. Chiropractic treatments may help your case, or you may benefit more from myofascial release therapy, TENS treatment, or even acupuncture. Even if you just need help determining the best way to exercise without causing yourself more pain, Dr. Doyle can help! Call our office today at 817-767-5430 to make an appointment.

How to Have a Better Quality of Life with Degenerative Arthritis

Posted on 08.10.17 |

Degenerative arthritis, better known as osteoarthritis, affects approximately 27 million American adults who are over the age of 25 years old. It is also the leading form of arthritis in the United States. As you age, your chances for developing arthritis increase dramatically. If you suffer from this joint condition, then you’re familiar with the symptoms: stiffness, mild swelling, pain when moving, and limited range of motion.

Arthritic patients often experience a decrease in quality of life due to the limitations placed on them. For most patients, arthritis pain increases throughout the day, which makes evening outings uncomfortable and sometimes impossible. Dr. Cody Doyle in Roanoke, TX uses a holistic approach to managing arthritis pain. He restores your quality of life by manipulating the musculoskeletal system in the body through acupuncture.

To learn more about how Dr. Doyle uses acupuncture to manage arthritis pain, call 817-767-5430 to schedule your appointment in Roanoke, TX today.

Degenerative Arthritis and Acupuncture

Acupuncture is derived from Chinese culture and designed to open blocked meridian channels. According to the Chinese, the body has roughly 20 invisible channels (meridian channels). There are approximately 2,000 acupuncture points that are connected to various sections of these channels. Qi, the body’s natural energy flow, moves throughout the meridian channels. When the channels become blocked, energy builds up at that blocked spot and results in pain and/or illness.

Dr. Doyle inserts specialized acupuncture needles into various points in the body to open the blocked channels. Endorphins are released when the needles make contact with the blocked channels and naturally fight painful sensations in the body. Quality of life improves when pain is properly managed.

By holistically manipulating the musculoskeletal system, Dr. Doyle stimulates neurotransmitters, such as cortisol and endorphins, which reduces inflammation and aids arthritic pain felt in stiff joints. Unlike NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), there are no side effects with acupuncture treatment. Some patients feel that this nonsurgical treatment is ineffective, however there is limited, yet promising, research about the significant effects of acupuncture and degenerative arthritis.

At-Home Pain Management

Along with acupuncture care with Dr. Doyle, there are changes that can be made at home to manage degenerative arthritis pain. After receiving treatment with Dr. Doyle, you can begin to make small changes to improve your quality of life.

Get Moving

Although arthritic patients experience stiffness and pain, it’s important to stay active. Degenerative arthritis causes pain when you attempt to move, however once you make the movement, the pain stops. Dr. Doyle encourages his arthritis patients to participate in physical activities, such as taking a short walk in the morning when pain is less severe. If you’re a fan of the water, you could do a few laps in the local pool to get your joints moving. Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce stress, a key contributor to inflammation in the body. Exercising not only reduces the side effects of arthritis, but can promote healthy bones, strong muscles, and mental clarity.

You Are What You Eat

A great way to promote a healthy body and happy joints is to eat anti-inflammatory foods, such as:

Yogurt
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruits
Green tea
Cook with oregano, basil, or ginger

For more information about acupuncture, call 817-767-5430 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Doyle in Roanoke, TX.

Alternative Treatment For Arthritis–A New Hope

Posted on 12.2.16 |

Many patients, after receiving a diagnosis of arthritis, believe that not much can really be done to help them. The diagnosis usually comes abruptly, from a well intentioned physician, without much explanation or discussion regarding causation or treatment options. “It’s just arthritis” we are told, “Old Arthur comes to visit us all eventually.” It is as if the diagnosis is something of a normal consequence of aging. That annoying uncle that must be tolerated and accepted for the rest of your days.

Of course there are options like pills, steroid injections, pain management, nerve burning, and even surgical procedures that are used in a otiose attempt to mitigate the persistent symptoms of the bothersome “Uncle Arthur.” However, it is now clear that the use of medications, surgeries, and injections in the treatment of osteoarthritis can lead to unintended and occasionally devastating outcomes.

A New Perspective

After years of treating patients suffering from the painful effects of degenerative arthritis, I have come to learn that a new approach is required. No longer is it acceptable to simply throw pills at the problem. The research is clear. Without a comprehensive approach that addresses the fundamental causes of the degenerative process, no lasting recovery from the effects of arthritis can be expected.

We must look at the problem from a completely different point of view. We know that the fundamental cause of degenerative arthritis is loss of function within a motion segment. The loss of function leads to abnormal motion with causes inflammation of the joint. Chronic inflammation leads to degeneration which leads to more loss of function and more pain. It is a vicious cycle.

Any hope at improvement must be focused on dismantling the cycle. Once the cycle is dismantled (not just broken) improvement that leads to lasting recovery can begin.

To dismantle this chronic and degenerative cycle, we ask specific questions relative to your unique condition. We will commonly ask questions like….

What can be done improve the function in your area of complaint?
- Example: Both traditional and low force chiropractic techniques can help improve joint function and biomechanics.
- Example: Acupuncture is excellent for decreasing spasm, reducing inflammation, promoting healing, and restoring function.
- Example: Massage, therapeutic exercise, ultrasound, and electric muscle stimulation can all be utilized to improve joint function and health
- Other modalities and techniques will be addressed and discussed depending on your unique situation
What dietary changes need to be addressed to promote healing and decrease inflammation?
- Do you consume artificial sweeteners? Sweeteners like aspartame are highly inflammatory.
- What is you level of hydration? Inflammation thrives when we don’t get adequate water intake.
- Are there any foods or habits that need to be addressed to give you the best chance at recovery?
- We will make specific recommendations relating to your diet in order the promote healing and improvement
What stretches and/or exercise programs need to be implemented to promote healing and recovery?
- A specific, custom tailored exercise program will be developed and updated throughout the course of your treatment plan.
Do you require nutritional and/or herbal supplementation?
- When and if we believe that you would benefit from nutritional and/or herbal supplementation, we will custom tailor your person supplement schedule.
Do you have any medications that may be causing some of your symptoms?
- We are happy to work with you and your prescribing doctor to suggest alternatives to any prescription medications that may be slowing or hampering your recovery.
And many more…

I believe the success we have had in our clinics in treating patients with degenerative arthritis over the last 20 years lies in the uniqueness of our approach to care. Our model has you, the individual patient, at it’s core. Since no two conditions are the same, it stands to reason that no two treatment plans should be the same either. We get to the core of the degenerative cycle specific to your individual condition and dismantle it so that treatment can begin and healing can occur.

This is certainly not an overnight process and it will take a considerable amount of effort of your part to meet your goals. However, we have accompanied thousands of patients on this journey and we will be with you to provide support, encouragement, and love throughout the process.

Call us today and let’s get started! I look forward to seeing you in or La Grange or Roanoke, TX chiropractic and acupuncture office.

We serve patients from Trophy Club, Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Argyle, Justin, NRH, and across the North Tarrant County area. Chiropractor Acupuncture 76262