Muscle and joint pain shouldn’t stand in your way.
According to a 2021 report by the CDC, it is estimated that 24% of adults in the U.S. - or about 58.5 million people - have been diagnosed with joint issues, including arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.
If you are suffering from one of these conditions or just a strain or pulled muscle that doesn't seem to heal quickly, Bastyr Clinic can help. Your care team may utilize one or more of the following treatment modalities to help with bone and joint health:
- Nutrition to support bone health and reduce inflammation
- Herbs and supplements to support a healthy immune response, joint and bone health
- Exercises and hands-on treatments to facilitate healing and improved mobility
- Referral to our physical medicine shift for additional structural treatment
- Medications when appropriate
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How We Can Help
Hydrotherapy is a traditional naturopathic medicine treatment involving use of water for pain relief and treatment. It encompasses a broad range of techniques that take advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, to stimulate blood circulation, the immune system and treat the symptoms of specific bone and joint conditions.
- Constitutional hydrotherapy using hot and cold towels interchangeably to support circulation
- Hubbard tub treatment using water to support the immune system and healing.
- Hubbard tub treatment using peat mud to support a healthy inflammatory response, immune system and circulation.
Naturopathic medicine encompasses the whole person – beyond using nutrition and natural medicines, our doctors train in the manipulation of joints (similar to chiropractic), soft tissue manipulation (similar to massage), and mobilization of the body through targeted exercises for strengthening and stretching muscle groups.
Your care team may utilize hands-on techniques like those above, therapeutic ultrasound, cold laser, hydrotherapy, or other modalities to get you active and mobile again.
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine can help tremendously with aches and pains. It works in the following ways:
- Activation of opioid systems: Research has found that several types of opioids may be released into the central nervous system during acupuncture treatment, thereby reducing pain.
- Changes in brain chemistry, sensation, and involuntary body functions: Studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Acupuncture also has been documented to affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes whereby a person’s blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature are regulated.
- Changes in blood flow: Acupuncture and Oriental medicine alters the circulation of blood to the affected area, resulting in the removal of pain-causing chemicals and restoring normal function to the area being treated.
At Bastyr University, we believe that food is medicine. There are certain foods that are inflammatory and may exacerbate some of your joint symptoms. Nutrition teams at Bastyr will help you keep a food journal to help you identify those inflammatory foods.
