Arthritis and joint stiffness care.
An arthritis chiropractor in Scottsdale for the stiff, aching joints of osteoarthritis and the mornings that take an hour to loosen. Dr. Tracey Ryder keeps worn joints moving with gentle adjustments, acupuncture and massage, alongside your physician's care.
- In practice since 2003
- Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage in one plan
- Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Road
- 4.9 from 75 Google reviews
What it is
What a chiropractor for arthritis can do
Osteoarthritis is the wear of the cartilage that cushions a joint, and the stiffness, aching and morning slowness that come with it. It is the most common arthritis by far, and it favors the joints that have worked hardest: the low back, the neck, the hips, the knees, the hands. A worn joint that stops moving gets stiffer and hurts more; a worn joint that keeps moving, within what it can tolerate, usually hurts less. That is the whole basis of care here.
A joint stiffness chiropractor does not reverse cartilage wear, and anyone who says otherwise should be avoided. What arthritis pain treatment in Scottsdale at Ryder does is keep the joints above and below the worn one moving well so it is not overloaded, keep the worn joint itself moving as far as it comfortably can, release the muscles that have tightened around it, and settle the aching with acupuncture for arthritis in Scottsdale. Rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis is managed by a rheumatologist; we treat the stiffness beside that care, never during a flare.
If you are searching for an arthritis chiropractor near me from Old Town, Tempe or south Scottsdale, the office is on Scottsdale Road between McDowell and Thomas. Bring your diagnosis and any imaging.
- Where it hurts
- Low back, neck, hips, knees, hands, shoulders; worst in the morning and after sitting
- Common causes
- Cartilage wear with age, old injuries, joints overworked by stiff neighbours, inflammatory arthritis managed by a physician
- What we use
- Gentle low-force adjustments, acupuncture, massage, movement advice
- First visit
- History and diagnosis review, joint and motion exam, explanation of what care can and cannot change, first treatment when appropriate
What is going on
Why a worn joint stiffens, and why moving it helps
Cartilage has no blood supply; it is fed by joint fluid pumped through it by movement. Stop moving a joint and the cartilage is starved, the capsule around it tightens, and the muscles guard. Move it, gently and within its range, and the fluid circulates, the capsule stays supple, and the pain of stiffness eases. Most of the morning slowness in arthritis is capsule and muscle, not bone on bone, and that part responds to care.
Can a chiropractor help with arthritis in the back? Yes, with low-force techniques: gentle adjustments keep the spinal segments moving, and the neighbours of a worn segment are kept mobile so it is not carrying their load too. Acupuncture settles the ache and the muscle guarding. Massage releases the tissue around the stiff joint. The plan is ongoing rather than a short course, spaced to what keeps you comfortable.
Symptoms
What people come in with
Arthritis tends to look like this:
- Stiffness for an hour in the morning
- Aching after sitting
- Joints that grind or creak
- Pain after activity rather than during
- A knee or hip that will not straighten
- A neck that will not turn
- Swollen finger joints
- Back stiffness that eases with walking
- Worse in cold weather
- Flares after overdoing it
Hot, red, swollen joints or a flare of inflammatory arthritis need your physician first.
How we treat it
How we treat arthritis and joint stiffness
Keep it moving, keep the neighbours moving, settle the ache.
Chiropractic
Gentle, low-force adjustments, often instrument-based, to the worn joint within its comfortable range and to the joints around it that are compensating.
Acupuncture
Points around the affected joints for the aching, the morning stiffness and the muscle guarding. Booked on its own by many arthritis patients.
Massage
Release of the muscles that have tightened around stiff joints, and circulation work to warm the tissue before an adjustment.
Your visit
What a first visit for arthritis is like
During the visit
- Which joints, your diagnosis and imaging, what the stiffness stops you doing, medications.
- Gentle motion exam of the affected joints and their neighbours, walking, a check for any inflammatory signs.
- A plain-language explanation of what care can and cannot change.
- First treatment when appropriate.
After the visit
- Stiffness and aching change over a course of visits; care is ongoing and spaced to what keeps you comfortable.
- Movement advice: what to do daily and what to modify.
- A re-check at every visit, and coordination with your physician.
Causes
What commonly causes it
What wears a joint, and what stiffens it.
Age and use
The joints that have worked hardest.
Old injuries
A joint that healed with less motion wears faster.
Stiff neighbours
A worn joint carrying the load of the one next to it.
Not moving
Stiffness breeds stiffness.
Weight and load
Hips and knees especially.
Inflammatory arthritis
Rheumatoid and others; physician-managed.
When to come in
When to see us, and when to see a doctor first
Good reasons to book
- Osteoarthritis with stiffness and aching you want to manage without adding medication.
- Morning stiffness in the back, neck, hips or knees.
- A worn joint you want to keep moving for as long as possible.
- Arthritis alongside your physician's care.
- Joint stiffness treated elsewhere without lasting change.
See a doctor first if
- A joint is hot, red and swollen, or you have fever.
- An inflammatory arthritis is flaring.
- A joint has suddenly become much more painful or has locked.
- You have osteoporosis and have not discussed it with us.
If the exam points to something we should not treat, or a flare that needs your physician, Dr. Tracey will say so.
Real questions
What people ask about arthritis.
Searched in Scottsdale Can a chiropractor help with arthritis in the back?
Yes, with gentle, low-force techniques. Care keeps the worn segments moving within their comfortable range and the segments around them mobile so the worn one is not overloaded, releases the guarding muscle, and settles the ache with acupuncture. It does not reverse the wear, and it is paused during any inflammatory flare.
Is it safe to adjust arthritic joints?
With the right techniques, yes. Dr. Tracey uses low-force and instrument methods for worn joints, and the exam and your imaging guide how far a joint is moved. Osteoporosis changes the approach further, so tell us if you have it.
Does acupuncture help arthritis pain?
It is one of the better-supported non-drug options for osteoarthritis aching, particularly in the knee, and many arthritis patients here book it on its own.
Should I rest my joints or move them?
Move them, within what they tolerate. Cartilage is fed by movement and the stiffness of arthritis is mostly capsule and muscle, which respond to motion. The plan tells you which movements and how much.
Can you treat rheumatoid arthritis?
The disease is managed by your rheumatologist. We treat the stiffness and muscle tension around the joints between flares, never during one, and we coordinate with your physician.
( Book )
Book a visit for arthritis
Call the office or request an appointment online. Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on, and we will set up the right first visit.
- Monday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM to 12 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Thursday
- 2 to 6 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday to Sunday
- Closed
Directions in Google Maps
Prefer to talk? Call (480) 900-5280.