Is chiropractic safe if I have arthritis?
Arthritis
Yes, with the right technique. Arthritic joints do not need force, they need motion. Dr. Frank uses the drop table and gentle mobilization to keep arthritic joints moving without any hard thrust. Motion is what keeps an arthritic spine from getting stiffer every year.
What it usually looks like
- Stiffness that is worst in the morning
- Aching that changes with the weather
- Gradual loss of range of motion
- Pain in the hips, knees, or low back
How Dr. Frank treats it
Drop table and low-force techniques. Nothing aggressive, nothing that aggravates the joint.
Why it happens
What causes arthritis
Wear, not just age
Osteoarthritis in the spine is cartilage thinning and bone responding with extra growth. It tracks with old injuries and years of a joint moving badly more than with birthdays. Two people the same age can have very different spines.
Joints that stopped moving
An arthritic joint that is not moved gets stiffer and hurts more; one that is moved gently and regularly stays more comfortable. That is the whole basis of chiropractic care for arthritis: motion is the medicine.
Muscle guarding
Much of the daily ache in an arthritic back or neck is the muscles around the joint clamping down. Take the guarding off and the joint feels years younger, even though the X-ray has not changed.
What to expect
Visit one, and how long it takes
Your first visit
Dr. Frank looks at what moves and what does not, and at how much of your pain is the joint versus the muscles guarding it. Arthritic spines get gentler techniques: flexion-distraction, mobilization, and drop-table adjusting rather than forceful manipulation. Most patients feel looser after the first visit.
How many visits
Arthritis does not go away, but the pain usually does drop a lot inside 4 to 6 visits. After that, many patients choose a maintenance visit every few weeks to keep the joints moving. Dr. Frank is honest about which is which: what he can change, and what you are managing for the long run.
When it is not a chiropractic problem
See a medical doctor first if you have
- Joint swelling, redness, and warmth, or arthritis in many joints at once (see a rheumatologist)
- Fever, unexplained weight loss, or night pain that does not change with position
- New numbness, weakness, or trouble walking
Dr. Frank screens for every one of these on visit one and refers out when he finds them. If any of them is happening right now, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Questions
About arthritis
Can chiropractic reverse arthritis?
No, and nobody honest will tell you otherwise. What it can do is keep the joints moving and keep you comfortable, which is what most arthritis patients actually want.
Will it hurt?
It should not. Tell Dr. Frank what you are feeling and he adjusts the approach.
Is chiropractic safe if I have osteoporosis too?
With the right technique, yes. Dr. Frank uses low-force methods and no forceful adjusting for anyone with osteoporosis. Tell him at the first visit, and bring your bone density result if you have one.
Can you reverse arthritis?
No, and anyone who says they can is selling something. What care does is restore motion, reduce the muscle guarding, and lower the daily pain so you can stay active, which is the thing that slows arthritis down.
How often should I come in for maintenance?
It varies. Some patients do well with a visit every three or four weeks; some need less. Dr. Frank sets it by how you feel between visits, not by a package.
The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination, or treatment that is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted fee, or reduced fee service, examination, or treatment.
Reviewed by Dr. Frank Comparetti, D.C. Last updated September 28, 2026.
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