More Mental Health Articles
When Arthur Visits
Once upon a time, a condition named Arthur came to visit my body. I never really noticed he was there. After all, he was very quiet, especially at first. Indeed, not only did he make no sound, he was also invisible. He never ate any of my food and seemed to take up no space. Why, he was no trouble at all! I never even knew he was there.
The years came and went. My children grew older, went through high school and moved out to go to college. My house was a much quieter place than it ever had been before. But I started hearing funny little noises Id never heard before even when my children were very small. When I went up stairs, popping noises would come from my knees. If I turned my head slowly there would emit grinding noises. Shoulder motion could cause a variety of snapping and crunching noises. Overall, I was getting stiffer in my back.
Two things happened one day that alarmed me. My knees started swelling up, and when I bent over to pickup a toothbrush my back locked up. I almost gagged on my toothbrush! My wife told me “Old Arthur must have come to pay you a visit!”
“Who is Arthur, one of your derelict cousins”? I said. Thats when I heard about arthritis, and that chiropractors may help. “Even in my knees”? I asked. “Just like directions, it couldnt hurt you to ask.” So I did.
That is when I found out that arthritis starts off slowly as cartilage wear in your joints. Many times you will not feel anything more than stiffness, but when popping and grinding and swelling become noticeable, then arthritis is usually on its way. While I could only see the swelling in my knees, the chiropractor ordered x-rays that showed a lot of it inside my knees and even more in my low back. She told me that while she cant kick Arthur out forever, she could help a lot. After she got the pain under control, she started Arthur and me on gentle exercises. She said if you exercise your joints and muscles, it will make them and you less cranky. There are certain things its best to avoid. Activities she said could stir things up. She questioned me a lot, and now I avoid activities that aggravate Arthur. I also lost weight, since Arthur isnt as young as he used to be.
Lastly, to help with pain and swelling, there are a lot of things Arthur and I need in our diet. Okay, so there are a lot of things I need in my diet. While everyone is different I found that glucosamine helps, as do fish oils, vitamin D, as well as some enzymes and herbs. The important thing was the chiropractor made sure I took only what I needed, in the way it needed to be taken. Most importantly she made sure nothing interferes with my medications. Except that I do not have to take ibuprofen all day like I used to. Im glad I went to the chiropractor. Arthur may not have left, but I dont hear from him like I used to, and I feel better than ever.
